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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

amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5576: Dec 9th 2022 at 8:50:53 PM

[up]I don't think the ideas are distinct tbh. Looking at the example page for Makeup Weapon, there are already examples that aren't purely for offense / attacking (See ComicBook.Batwoman, Film.James Bond, Film.The Spy Who Dumped Me, along with several examples that use the vague "for different effects" language). And the description is written as such to include defensive weapons / gadgets like smoke bombs to use for an escape. I think Makeup Weapon covers the idea already, but it may need to go through either TRS or the trope description improvement drive to make it more explicit.

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 9th 2022 at 1:48:32 PM

walking-wolf from The Northlands Since: Mar, 2022
#5577: Dec 9th 2022 at 9:09:11 PM

Re: " the new trope would only allow examples of non-weapons, like a piece of paper or a flash drive being put in a blush or eyeshadow compact."

OK, that might work. Along the same lines is a gimmick from a TV show - NCIS, I think - in which a flashdrive with some critical information was hidden in a dog's collar. Perhaps you can expand the idea to include items other than cosmetics? (Although then it might overlap with Shoe Phone.)

"Narn, Centauri, Human, we all do what we do for the same reason: it seemed like a good idea at the time." - Ambassador G'kar, Babylon 5
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#5578: Dec 10th 2022 at 2:03:48 AM

Secret Pet Plot: A character adopts a pet in secret, and tries to care for it while hiding it from others. I've seen it in so many works, I just want to double check the tropeworthiness of it. I think it works because the pets will undoubtedly cause chaos and stress and panic, especially if they're unusual animals. Also, it characterizes the pet's secret owner as really caring about animals or being devoted to their goal of keeping that animal safe even if they don't usually like animals.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
alnair20aug93 🍊orange fursona🧡 from 🐾Furrypines 🇵🇭 (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
🍊orange fursona🧡
#5579: Dec 10th 2022 at 4:32:56 AM

I'm thinking.

Blue Is Erotic. Where blue filters and blue-themed characters are sexually active, or represents a cool and romantic side of sex. Also referencing about "blue films"

ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔|I DO COMMISSIONS|ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔
Khoshekh6 Since: May, 2022
amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5581: Dec 10th 2022 at 6:16:09 PM

[up][up]I've never heard of blue being associated with eroticism or sexuality. You'd have to make a strong case for the connection IMO (along with finding examples that fit).

I also have never heard of the term "blue film" before but going off of this article (which may or may not be wholly accurate), the association has less to do with the color blue itself, but circumstantial associations of the time (blue cassettes; Blue laws, otherwise known as morality laws which seems to associate blue more with being morally pure rather than sex; bluish tint to the film)

selkies TOO serious! from Guess, guess, guess Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
TOO serious!
#5582: Dec 10th 2022 at 11:11:18 PM

Would an "Every Book Is A Bestseller" / "New York Times Bestseller Phenomenon" be a good idea for a trope? It has been raised to attention in forums and social media that so many books are have the bestseller title slapped to them despite not being popular/well-known/having high sales. Articles that discuss this topic: 1, 2, 3.

Uncanny Valley Hot Babes in Your Area Are Looking To Know YOU! Click Here to Sign Up for FREE! | Not quite back tbh. Don't expect much.
alnair20aug93 🍊orange fursona🧡 from 🐾Furrypines 🇵🇭 (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
🍊orange fursona🧡
#5583: Dec 10th 2022 at 11:35:52 PM

Will tropes about post-partum depression and post-childbirth insanity be considered tropeworthy compared to Death by Childbirth?

Edited by alnair20aug93 on Dec 11th 2022 at 3:36:13 AM

ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔|I DO COMMISSIONS|ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔
ilovewildkratts1 Local Odd Squad Connoisseur from a nice breezy expansive meadow (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Local Odd Squad Connoisseur
#5584: Dec 11th 2022 at 1:16:47 AM

Could a case be made for a trope where a character finds themselves in the dwelling area of an animal, such as the nest of a bird, and is treated like the animal's child, but they manage to escape and dislike being treated like said animal's child?

Sort of like Oblivious Adoption, but the character manages to escape the dwelling and, again, they dislike being babied (for example, a character who lands in a bird's nest is forced to eat worms along with the other chicks, when they do not eat worms). So maybe a subversion of Oblivious Adoption?

Edited by ilovewildkratts1 on Dec 11th 2022 at 1:17:22 AM

Wuewuewuewuewueing my way to the bank.
NitroIndigo ♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves from West Midlands region, England Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves
#5585: Dec 11th 2022 at 2:39:31 AM

[up][up][up]That sounds more like an audience reaction.

Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#5586: Dec 11th 2022 at 7:42:17 AM

So I am new to this whole thing but I have an idea for a trope.

I have noticed that often times a new adaptation/entry/character will introduce new fans to a series/work and with that a new ship. For example, Wednesday introduced a new ship, Wednesday/Enid, into the Addams Family franchise that took off on a big way, stuff like the Hannibal TV show also introduced new ships into a decades old franchise in that it catapulted Will/Hannibal into popularity when it wasn't really before, Season 4 of Supernatural introduced a new of Castiel which leads to his ship with Dean taking over the shipping for the fandom, Stranger Things season 4 had a similar with Eddie/Steve, and The Witcher tv show had this happened to Geralt/Jaskier. Those are just off the top of my head. So I thought a ship for a latter entry in a franchise becoming very popular in the fandom. As it happens frequently but is unique enough that it seems trope worthy. Like it could be called "Late Arriving Ship" or something.

Does that sound like it could be worth making a TLP for as again I haven't done this before.

Edited by Bullman on Dec 11th 2022 at 9:47:10 AM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#5587: Dec 11th 2022 at 8:26:25 AM

Not a fan of adding more shipping tropes, TBH - it's a minefield.

amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5588: Dec 11th 2022 at 8:34:11 AM

[up][up] i also don't really see how that changes the nature of shipping enough to warrant a trope separate from the many we have already under Shipping Tropes. Fandom will ship characters that they know of / if the work includes Ship Tease. If a character doesn't exist in a work, like Castiel only coming in S4 of Supernatural, there literally couldn't be a ship with him until he showed up. Or for the Wednesday one, Enid didn't exist until the series so again, her and Wednesday being shipped together is just normal shipping.

Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#5589: Dec 11th 2022 at 8:50:49 AM

Thanks that is why I came here, as I was unsure. I won't propose it then. Like I said I am new to this. I will come back if I come up with a different and better trope.

Edited by Bullman on Dec 11th 2022 at 10:55:35 AM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
Malady (X-Troper)
#5590: Dec 11th 2022 at 12:04:05 PM

I don't think there's an Officially Shortened Name like Officially Shortened Title, and I don't know if there's enough examples, especially since I'm not happy about the second:

Edited by Malady on Dec 11th 2022 at 12:04:17 PM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
generation81 Since: Aug, 2021
#5591: Dec 12th 2022 at 4:24:41 PM

Is there a trope for when a sitcom character gets a Laugh Track to stop? This obviously recquires Breaking the Fourth Wall

walking-wolf from The Northlands Since: Mar, 2022
#5592: Dec 12th 2022 at 8:08:15 PM

Consider the following situation: Alice and Bob have an argument over ... something. Alice knows that Bob is wrong, and the audience knows it too, thus making Bob look like either a jerk or a villain depending on specifics. However, Bob honestly believes he's right, and doesn't understand Alice's position at all, because Alice (and the audience) knows some critical fact that Bob doesn't.

Example: in an episode of Highlander, Duncan has to dissuade his friend Charlie from trying to kill a bad guy. Charlie's hatred of the bad guy is entirely justified because the bad guy murdered someone Charlie cared deeply about, but there was no chance of ever bringing him to trial. What Charlie didn't know, but Duncan did, is that the bad guy in question was an Immortal, and Charlie could never succeed in killing him. If he kept trying, sooner or later the bad guy would kill him.

Is there a trope that covers this? If not, should there be?

Edited by walking-wolf on Dec 12th 2022 at 11:09:56 AM

"Narn, Centauri, Human, we all do what we do for the same reason: it seemed like a good idea at the time." - Ambassador G'kar, Babylon 5
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
NitroIndigo ♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves from West Midlands region, England Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves
#5594: Dec 12th 2022 at 10:15:54 PM
amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5595: Dec 12th 2022 at 10:17:14 PM

[up][up]It's a form of Dramatic Irony, which can be summarized as when the audience knows something that the character/s in a work don't.

ETA: [nja]

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 13th 2022 at 6:45:03 AM

amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5596: Dec 13th 2022 at 3:44:44 AM

in going through 2 widow tropes for TRS, thought of an idea that I've def seen before but can't think of any examples at the moment. When a character's spouse or long-time lover dies and they vow to never love or marry again. Not quite a Vow of Celibacy; they may have sex or even casual flings, they just explicitly refuse to involve themselves in a romantic partnership as serious as the one they lost

Malady (X-Troper)
#5597: Dec 13th 2022 at 8:53:13 AM

Never Be Hurt Again related?

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Veriamo (Handed A Sword)
#5598: Dec 13th 2022 at 1:56:29 PM

Masked Monstrosity: A clearly inhuman monster that wears a mask for reasons other than concealing its identity. May be used to introduce some kind of Motif, if there are multiple wearers. Think something like Shadows from Persona 3 or Arakune from BlazBlue.

Is that a good idea?

amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#5599: Dec 13th 2022 at 3:30:51 PM

[up][up]Would likely be a subtrope, yes. might look through examples to see if there's any that fit what I have in mind

ETA: stumbled across The Mourning After and I think that's covering what I have in mind, though the name is fairly non-indicative

Edited by amathieu13 on Dec 13th 2022 at 6:45:55 AM

Reymma RJ Savoy from Edinburgh Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
RJ Savoy
#5600: Dec 14th 2022 at 9:34:37 AM

Now that Panty Shot is definition only, I wonder if in-universe ones could be troped: one character sees another in a compromising situation, both react with some embarrassment, and it's usually their first time meeting. Like a milder case of Naked First Impression. Whether the audience sees anything is not important, it's a way to start up a relationship with some awkwardness and hinting that it will get sexual.

Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.

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