The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.
Find a Trope:
openIs there a trope for characters meeting a creator of some kind? Literature
I've been looking for a trope related to characters meeting the god or creator deity but I cant find it.
openOveranalysed due to popularity Literature
Do we have this? It’s for works where every little detail is scrutinised by fans and critics and the slightest inconsistency pounced on and analysed, debated, dissected and the creator is repeatedly asked about, called out on or forced to justify it in a way that doesn’t apply to less popular works.
For example J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are subject to atom by atom forensic analysis of every minute detail in a way that Jill Murphy’s very similar The Worst Witch series is not.
Could have a related trope in that something like Potter was (at least initially) written for children and wouldn’t normally be subjected to line by line scrutiny but due to the expanded fanbase gets the treatment - people are not generally slavishly dissecting Noddy books the same way.
Edited by ExxolonopenIt's rags to royalty but... Literature
In Fairy Tale Reform School, Flora (formerly Cinderella's evil stepmother) reformed along with her two daughters, and made efforts to be productive members of society. Flora even opened up the reform school the book series is named after to help other villains do the same.
Even her daughters, Azalea and Dahlia, have changed for the better and are among the few commoners to attend Royal Academy. For the sisters particularly, I'm wondering if this is Rags to Royalty or something else.
Edited by BlackFaithStaropentitles that reference another person Literature
i.e The Magician's Nephew, The Time Travellers Wife, Firekeeper's Daughter, etc.
resolved Last-minute Princess reveal Literature
A story/fairytale about a prince who meets a peasant, they fall in love and he learns to look past class prejudices to be with her...then in the end it's revealed she's the lost princess from another kingdom. Convenient.
Genders might be inverted, too. Modern versions of the trope have the peasant/poor girl be revealed to be related to a rich family.
openMagic Interfering With Life Literature
I've seen this trope in a lot of places but most recently in a book series. Basically, when a characters magic/superpowers interfere with their day to day life to a detrimental effect.
openAllowing a loved one into bad company to decide for themselves Literature
I'll be direct with this example.
Anna, the younger sister of Gillian Cobbler, was never a fan of Gilly's thieving waysnote "The shoe-making business isn't what it used to be", yet after Gillian could return from Fairy Tale Reform School but refusednote for the time being to fight for a greater cause, Anna is upset and claimed she had evidently attempted theft herself. Gillian is dejected in Anna's deterioration, but it only seems to get worse even after she returns. Anna becomes company of the mischievous Hansel and Gretel, who then become company of The Trickster Rumpelstiltskin. Gillian is sure he has Anna under a spell, but Anna affirms otherwise. Gillian must make the difficult decision to allow her younger sister to make choices of her own, even if that is to follow a villain.
TLDR: Protagonist must allow a loved one (preferably sibling) to make their own choices even if they apparently seem like bad ones.
openEducational fiction Literature
Moby Dick teaches you about whales. Pillars of the Earth teaches you about building cathedrals. Casino Royale teaches you about baccarat.
Is there a trope for this kind of fiction intertwined with educational digressions?
openSet up as a witness Literature
Howdy folks, does TV Tropes have an entry for the old detective story trope of the villain bringing a detective into a plot to serve as an unimpeachable witness, then letting them see a carefully orchestrated series of events? This is a standard for Old Time Radio and a lot of the detective genre, where someone like Phillip Marlowe will be hired, allowed to see a "suicide" or something similar, in the hopes that they will be a believable witness to the version of events the antagonists want the authorities to believe, but which are actually a cover-up to some type of nefarious plot. Of course, the hero usually unravels the truth behind the plot and catches the villains.
openBook format Literature
Is there a trope for stories told entirely using letters, newspaper clippings, official documents, etc.?
openTrinkets which enable magical control over others Literature
The antagonist has control over his pupils by having them wear keys around their necks which are actually enchanted so that they are physically incapable of disobeying him. When the villain uses it on the protagonist, it also has the ability of withholding the hero's magical powers.
It's not hypnosis in that the pupils are fully conscious of being controlled. In the hero's case, he even cries tears of rage as he's commanded to tear his beloved new tunic to shreds.
openExplode to bits and body pieces Literature
So in a book I'm in the process of making a work page for, one villain dies by exploding. No, not by a bomb. The ghost of his partner who he unjustly murdered haunted him with a vengeance briefly, before causing him to explode to bits in the climax. The nearby protagonist is described to have felt the flesh splatter on his face. The Death Trope index is rather extensive, which makes sense, but I currently lack the luxury of time to accurately find what I'm looking for so I would really appreciate the help.
openIndie/Independently published literature Literature
Is there a page for indie literature? Like a literature equivalent to Indie Game and Indie Pop?
openSnape's character Arc. Literature
What is it called when you are lead to dislike someone for much of a work, then it is revealed that he is pretty much (or completely) good?
The best example I have is Snape in HP
openMagical Weapon Literature
I've been unable to find a trope on this. Specifically I'm thinking about an enchanted sword, but the weapon could be anything really. Do we actually just not have a trope for magical weapons? I find that odd if so.
openReasoning away why an obvious action won't work Literature
The best example I have of this is in LOTR with Tom Bombadil.
The council of Elrond brings him up as someone who is not affected by the ring- someone who would potentially be useful in taking it.
The response is:
"That won't work because..."
Is there a name for this sort of bringing up questions that readers are likely asking just to explain why it won't work?
openDead Guy's Life Story Literature
A horror or crime novel staple: The killer is off to make a new victim. The next chapter starts out telling the about the life of a random, newly-introduced character, who by the end of the chapter becomes the newest victim. Often with a lot of dramatic irony added.
openAn obnoxiously tropey character Literature
I have recently been editing new writers' work in progress novels and have struggled to find the exact word for what I am looking for.
A common theme in these works is that they try to make all of their characters the most super-cool, nonchalant, ultra powerful, ultra witty, etc. people in the world. Obviously, they come out as a jumbled mess and wholly unrelatable. I have been using words like "tropey" or "cliche"- and most recently "Mary Sue"... But I think there is something better- and I know this is the place to figure it out!
I know this is likely multiple tropes, so I will break it down like this:
What is a protagonist that is OP to the point where the story is uninteresting?
What is it called when a character is unrealistically blasé about actual danger?
There are so many other examples, but I will start with two.
Thanks for the input, I love this site.
This is mainly a literature trope but I noticed a lot of books are named after years. Notably, 1984.