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Is there a trope you don’t see very often that you love?
This isn’t exactly a rare trope, but I still don’t see it all the time. I love love love it when a character has secret traits/struggles/experiences, and other characters don’t know it. But it’s not just something like ‘he’s secretly sweet’ or ‘secretly cool.’ It’s a whole layer of unique information that is hidden because the character doesn’t feel the need to talk about it.
I’m not thinking of secret backstories… I’m thinking about super specific things that aren’t easily guessable.
If a character had an abusive childhood, that doesn’t count. But if they ran away to the circus as a twelve-year-old and that jacket they’ve been wearing through the whole story is actually a momento, that counts.
Bonus points if the story hints at the layer at first, but the hints themselves are weird. I read about a character who kept talking about the afterlife, and said he was allergic to rowboats. The other characters didn’t question it because they were too polite. Turns out, the character had been on a rowboat when he witnessed a drowning, and he’s been obsessed with the dead girl ever since. (It’s a weird book, but fun. XD)
What tropes do you want to see more of?
The exhaustion is strong with this one
I love the trope when a character starts crying and whoever they’re with at the moment starts inwardly freaking out because they have no idea what to do because they’ve never seen that character like this before, and they are NOT good at being the emotional support friend but they want to help and what on earth are they supposed to do??? I remember seeing it in the Penderwicks at some point, and in Percy Jackson. I think I’ve seen a couple other places too. It’s just sweet and highly amusing how awkward characters feel in this situation. XD
I also love father-daughter found family relationships, like Annie, The BFG, and A Little Princess. I almost NEVER see those, and I wish I saw them more often.
MARCIE! YOU MADE EGG SOUP!
The wise fool!!!Where one character is expected to be foolish/silly and instead is incredibly wise. So, there’s a book, A Letter for the King, that took this trope literally, and is spectacular. In the book, Tirillo is the king’s fool, but he’s also secretly a paladin knight and has this incredible wisdom that shows up in the unlikeliest places. Because he’s a fool/jester, people don’t expect him to see straight through their guises, but he does, and then he proceeds to tell them off in rhyme! He choose his profession because he is always in a position to offer encourage and advice to those he cares for, accepting the fact that he will be demeaned by people who don’t understand.
Artham in WFS is similar, although he’s less humorous as you learn more about his story. The Boy in Shakespeare’s Henry the V is also in this trope, in that he’s not supposed to be wise, but he is. It’s a surprising and refreshing trope when done right. It requires a character to have layers that align with the different facets of their demeanor.
Other tropes would be a sort of Joshua role, where a younger person has to take on the responsibilities of their elders before people are ready for it. Also Found Family.
@theducktator Oh, A Little Princess is one of my childhood favorites! I love Sarah and The Friend’s relationship.You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
The Wise Fool is one of my favorites.
Also, that character in the background with more knives than words, that is the first to react to a threat, but the least likely to comment on it. Mikhail Gregovsky from A Light in Zion fit this to a pin. Natan Israeli in Brother Enemy is similar, if more snarky. Smalls from Green Ember is kinda like this too, at least in the first book, and Cole fits for it later. But I haven’t found very many of these in literature, which is sad. We need more silent fighter and yet not dark/brooding wounded warrior types. Those are fun too, but can we have some upbeat ninjas?
A cup of tea is cheaper than therapy.
I shall also add: the brown eyed brunette being the gorgeous character who all the boys like. I’m fed up with every single AbSuLuTeLy GoRgEoUs character being a blue eyed blonde!
You all probably know what I look like now.
MARCIE! YOU MADE EGG SOUP!
If I may add my two cents: an ACTUALLY MATURE romance story with TWO ACTUALLY MATURE human beings who respect each other through and through and even if they break up they’re as courteous as can be
But that’s boring
Ah….. so that’s why it’s so rare…
You can pronounce it however you want.
How could I forget to add the character who everyone thought to be dead crashing his or her funeral? The only time I can think of when this happened is Percy Jackson.
MARCIE! YOU MADE EGG SOUP!
can we have some upbeat ninjas?
Yes! Like maybe. . . A Black Mongoose?
You will love what you spend time with.
Ah yes, his royal highness the Black Mongoose certainly qualifies as an upbeat ninja and we need more of him.
A cup of tea is cheaper than therapy.
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