Indie/Independently published literature Literature

Is there a page for indie literature? Like a literature equivalent to Indie Game and Indie Pop?

Snape'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

Magical 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.

Reasoning 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?

Dead 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.

An 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.

Not a hero, but thought of as one despite that Literature

Is there a character trope of a character who does a minor heroic thing, but accidentally becomes known as a full-on superhero because of it when they don't want to be one?

Anti-fantasy genre Literature

I would like to know if there is a trope or genre covering the dismissal of fantasy tropes. As an example say there are two sides to a narrative, the “chosen one” who is guided by prophecy to lead his people against another country, and on the other side a country whose philosophy does not follow a fantasy model. The story progresses but in the end the “Chosen one” and his people fail because their actions were guided by devotion to outdated directions. Prophecies are nonsense as realistically you can’t predict the future. I discovered rational fic but this doesn’t quite fit as it involves allowing the reader to follow step by step to reach a conclusion. I also don’t believe such a thing as an author polemic is quite right. The story isn’t out to mock belief, it’s just that the motivation of one side has no merit. The rational side bears no malice towards the other they’re just not prone to flights of fancy. I’d like to read such stories but am not aware of any examples. I realise such a genre would go against the needs of a traditional narrative structure, or risk alienating potential readers.

New Exposition Just In Time Literature

When we get new information that is crucial to the plot right before the rising action or climax. Best example I can think of is how Harry Potter never hears the words "horcrux" or "hallow" until the final two books of the whole series. We knew some hints about them but they were not outlined in exposition until they became relevant.

Unsolvable Mystery Misdirection Literature

A mystery story begins with something apparently illogical going on - readers get interested because they want to know how the writer is going to get out of that one.

But then it turns out the actual hook of the story is just a bit of misdirection by the villain, either to keep witnesses and the detective away from the real mystery, or to attract the detective's attention, because It's Personal between the two of them.

So, the solution to the mystery is, there was no mystery because it was all a hoax.

Chiasmus/Antimetabole Literature

Chiasmus and antimetabole are closely related rhetorical techniques, in which someone uses the same, or related, words, in a certain order, and then in the opposite order, to make a point. There are many notable examples:

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

These examples all use the same words, but Chiasmus can also be employed by using similar concepts - "Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves". You see it all over the place, in any medium which involves words, and can be played for drama or indeed for laughs.

Messed up fictional author Literature

Is there a trope for works of Stylistic Suck where the real author adopts a fictional persona of a mentally unstable person, usually to portray the work as the product of a sick mind - but sometimes to Troll the audience into thinking a real person is writing something so odd?

Familiar things from an unfamiliar perspective Literature

A type of humor that involves describing everyday objects and activities from the perspective of a fascinated, often confused outsider. Like "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" or "If All Stories Were Written Like Science Fiction Stories."

Too Spoilery to Discuss Literature

The kind of work where talking about any details or events will likely spoil some element of the plot.

Losing consciousness right before the action Literature

Is there a trope for when the POV character passes out right before or in the middle of the action, so the audience never actually sees what goes down? Like when Harry loses consciousness at the end of The Philosopher's Stone, so the audience never sees how he, Ron and Hermione got out of there and instead hears it from Dumbledore when he explains it to Harry later. Or the part in Mara: Daughter of the Nile where Mara passes out from blood loss right as the final battle begins and awakens just in time to see its aftermath, so all the real fighting happens offscreen while she's asleep. I'm sure there are other examples, but none that I can specifically remember right now. It seems to happen mostly in children's books, when showing the actual scenes would be too violent for the audience (like in Mara's case) or simply more easily told than shown (like in Harry Potter's case.)

I guess the TLDR is: is there a specific trope for when an author uses conveniently unconscious POV characters as an excuse to tell instead of show?

Announcing the Crime Beforehand Literature

Often associated with the Gentleman Thief, a criminal will announce the crime before following through, defeating the victims plans despite their forewarning. Perhaps also used by assassins who notify their target before killing them.

Funny List Ordering Literature

Something where, in a list, something is listed, and then the item in the list right after that is tangentially related to the first one. In other words the second item gives the first one a punchline.

Here's an example from Things Mr. Welch is No Longer Allowed to Do in an RPG:

1977. If I managed to roll up a half ogre knight errant on 3d6 straight down, no gloating. 1978. Naming the half ogre Sir Loin of Beef is gloating.

Note that the two items are right next to each other in the list, and not directly related to each other but put next to each other as a joke. Somewhat related to The Noodle Incident but not really.

Accidentally getting what someone else thinks is wanted Literature

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/remarks.php?trope=Literature.TheClubDumas#latest is where I'm starting from with this.

Specifically, Varo Borja wants to bring up _The Devil_—-cue echoing with clouds of smoke—-so that he can Sell His Soul, and whatever from there.

Lucas Corso just wants to research and sell books. In the end, it's Lucas who finds out what the source of the old legends really is, and at the end of the novel, is apparently on his way to becoming the same himself.

—-But I have no idea if there is a declared trope, or if there is, what it's called.

SymbologyResearchFailure or ArtisticLicenseReligion? Literature

• In Ill Met By Moonlight, set in the mid-1500s, a passing mention is made of "the Hebrew six-pointed star", in the same context as the Christian cross or the Islamic crescent. Problem is, the Star of David as a symbol of Judaism is far Newer Than They Think: it only started seeing widespread use in the late 1800s.

So, Symbology Research Failure, or Artistic License – Religion?

Fandom Stockholm syndrom Literature

Let me describe a situation:

• There is a long running series of books
• It jumped shark at certain point
• Everyone is perfectly aware of the utter collapse of quality
• Despite that, the fandom, while non-stop talking smack about the books, bee-line for next one when it's published
• They keep talking smack about the series and its condition, but are anticipating already the next book

Is there any trope for this?

The "Reveal" Literature

So it's like The Reveal, but the reader already knows whatever is going to be revealed, either because it is shown someway on purpose or because the book is from the viewpoint of that character.

monster Literature

Sympathetic Villain Goes Into Exile Literature

Is there a trope for "Sympathetic Ally/Sidekick of the Big Bad (whether coerced or willing) Goes Into Exile (whether ordered or self-imposed) After Their Defeat (leaving a somewhat Ambiguous Ending as to if the other characters will ever see them again)?" (For extra feels, this character is often a sibling/former close friend and/or romantic interest of one or more of the good guys.) This may not be the actual end of a series, just the moment when this particular character is Put On A Bus.

To clarify, this is NOT the same as Tactical Withdrawl or We Will Meet Again. Those tropes are when this character plans to someday come back to continue their master/overlord/boss/partner's quest. This trope is for the character who is suddenly dealing with Unfulfilled Purpose Misery and/or has had a Heel Realization, is like Now What? and goes on a Journey to Find Themself and/or Redemption Quest.

(I've seen this in a few places— the main one that comes to mind is Murtagh from Cristopher Paolini's Inheiritance Cycle.)

I realize that this includes a lot of different tropes, but is there an overarching trope that includes all of the above? Because if not, there should be. (I guess maybe Journey To Find Oneself fits, but that page is practically a stub and could use updating.)

Killing off lots characters at the end of a series Literature

I chose the medium literature but this could apply to almost any type of work.

Is there a trope about how tons of characters seem to die in the last episode/book/movie/etc of a series? It seems to happen a lot in works where almost nobody dies before this final culling of the party, making it even more jarring when it happens.

It doesn't seem to be exclusive to the climax of the story either- a good example is the final Harry Potter book, where tons of fairly important people bite the dust before the book is even 2/3 of the way over

I'm sorry if I over-explained it, but there are so many examples of this that I feel like there are tropes within this one trope

Antinovel Literature

Do we have a page for the antinovel genre under another name?