Have an idea for a new trope, but don't know for sure if it's a good idea? Did Trope Finder give you similar concepts, but not exactly what you wanted? Are you just looking for a focus to a broader idea?
You've come to the right place!
On this thread, you can share your ideas with the masses before making that TLP draft, so if there's any lingering uncertainty about the validity of your idea or you just want some help pinning down a good idea, ask away and help others out, too!
A related sandbox I need to pitch is the Trope Idea Salvage Yard. If you've an idea but can't personally work on it, you can add it to the yard and let someone else create the draft. Or you can browse it yourself if you need more draft ideas, whether or not you feel they should be mentioned here first.
Got ideas for non-trope pages you need help with? Never fear, the New Page Workshop Thread
is here!
With that out of the way: Let's discuss some ideas.
Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 27th 2022 at 1:49:11 PM
Yeah, that seems a bit overly-specific. I think going general is a better idea here. Make it a subtrope of Alternative Character Interpretation or Fanon or something.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallI was thinking of making a Reading Glasses Gag trope where characters pull out glasses to read out documents. I know I have seen it before on older cartoons. The only reason I remember this trope idea was because I found an old TF query of mine on my query history page and I didn't get a response.
Macron's notesMight even be expandable into a more general "hammerspace glasses gag", as I can think of some uses that aren't for reading.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallMaybe it could be called Instant Reading Glasses to mirror Instant Wristwatch.
Inexperienced Mentor: A mentor with limited experience. I have one example: in Beasts of Burden the main characters become junior apprentices, and their main mentor is Miranda, who, while much more experienced than them is still only an apprentice herself (but not a junior one).
Climbing Vine Handholds: Ascending or descending a wall by using climbing plants as handholds. Shows up in The Legend of Zelda and "Talma Gordon". (I thought I remembered it being in Knives Out too, but it was actually the trellis that was being climbed, not the plants themselves.)
I remember it being in Pokémon Ranger Shadows Of Almia. (The vine one to be clear)
Also have some examples for the first one.
Edited by WarJay77 on Feb 23rd 2022 at 7:44:28 AM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallI was going through my Trope Finder inquiries, and found one that I think I want to try to spin into something, provided we don't already have it. It's the type of snarky comment where your response to something is "I'll take [X] for $[Y], Alex" as a parody of selecting answers in Jeopardy!. Someone mentioned that this happens in JonTron and Game Grumps videos but I have no idea which ones they'd be in. Does anyone know where those would be, or some other instances of this?
Wouldn't that just be a stock phrase?
ERROR: The current state of the world is unacceptable. Save anyway? YES/NOYeah, that feels at best suited for a ReferencedBy.Jeopardy page... which we have.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.This is one that I realized feels rather obvious, and like something we should already have, but I'll still pitch it anyway: "Sneaking out at Night", which is almost always portrayed as a risky, fun adventure (especially in kid's works), where there's a time limit on how long you have to succeed and the possibility of getting caught.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallI wanted to make it tonight, but I'm tired, so the draft'll be up when I get up tomorrow.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallMusing on a "Miss X" pun, a naming convention and title trope based on putting "Miss" in lieu of mis- for a word that begins with the latter, usually to refer to a young woman. The name "Miss Fortune" shows up in League of Legends and Pokémon Legends: Arceus (both ironic, because the former is a pirate and the latter a gang of bandits), Elementary has an episode titled "Miss Taken" which features a young woman who turns out to be an impostor, and Didjits have an EP titled "Little Miss Carriage".
I can think of several examples off the top of my head. BoJack Horseman has the "Ms. Taken" movie, and that "Miss Carrie" Oblivious Guilt Slinging gag might also count.
Epic Rap Battles of History also has the line "You lost so many babies, we should call you Miss Carriage" in Cleopatra vs. Marilyn Monroe.
EDIT: Oh, and South Park has an episode with a holistic medicine saleswoman named Miss Information.
Edited by mightymewtron on Feb 24th 2022 at 12:01:37 PM
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.Pity Relationship / Pity Date: I asked if we had this on Trope Finder two years ago and couldn't find it. Basically, someone enters a relationship with someone just because they don't want to feel bad about rejecting them. Pity Sex is the closest but I have seen plenty of non-sexual examples in media for it to be it's own trope. I just don't remember them because I don't watch too many shows these days. I'll probably pick up on that to if I can find some examples.
Macron's notesThere's Boq and Nessarose from Wicked; Boq only asked her out to impress Glinda, but then felt too guilty to admit it and got stuck in the relationship. She even asks if he's only with her because he feels bad for her.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallEh, from what I have seen it's not played the same. And expanding to cover relationships would essentially be changing the definition.
Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 24th 2022 at 3:23:30 PM
Macron's notesIDK if I agree with that. A date / relationship involves a lot more emotional connection and time than a simple kiss or night in bed would have. Dating someone because you feel bad for them necessitates more time, money and effort spent on that person, especially if you get stuck in a long-term relationship.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallWe can't expand tropes to cover future use, and Pity Date is definitely a thing I've seen a few times, though one can follow the other.
TroperWall / WikiMagic CleanupIn a lot of Pity Sex examples, the one character just has sex with the loser one just because and it's not given any emotional weight because it was only supposed to be a one time thing. I think that's a different from starting a relationship just because you didn't have the heart to reject them.
Macron's notes

I have a very few examples in mind. Like, I realize that there aren't many of notice outside of "Most fanart of Ash in drag as "Ashley" are based on a shot where the shoes are miscolored".