Writerly Ways
Apr. 27th, 2025 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Tropes and why maybe I should take them as a sign. In the writers' online meeting we were talking tropes and I admitted I do not like two big ones in romance 'enemies to lovers' and 'fake dating' (if you like them, fantastic, they're just not me). I think they were horrified that I don't like them and it got me thinking, maybe this is why I don't sell as well as I probably should. I am not fond of a lot of romance tropes so I'm not likely to write them. It's even why I shied away from
duckprintspress LGBT reading challenge on storygraph (something I was like whee new and then forgot about 2 weeks later). It's heavy on the tropes (but it looks like a great challenge and I recommend it. It's just not a me challenge but I might look at it again to see where I can slot some of my reads into)
Not following the tropes might turn off some readers. They're there for the comforting formula. Even in my fandom challenge
unconventionalcourtship the blurb I chose did include fake dating and I'm like yep let me dance around that. I would like to think, however, that there is plenty of room for other not as tropey stuff (I just know every one of my novels has absolutely flatlined no matter how much effort went into the marketing. It has pretty much killed my desire to continue on as Jana).
How about you? What are your favorite tropes (Hurt/Comfort for me, found family)? Which ones do you write? Which ones have you subverted? How did that work? (and let's not yuck on someone's yum please). How well do you play with tropes? Apparently I play poorly with romance ones at least.
Open Calls
Tractor Beam Issue 2 Soilpunk (sci-fi involving soil) with the theme of ‘The Garden’ Caveat by me - no one is sure if the 1,200$ is split between all the authors or per story (my bet is on the former). I checked the webpage and it's weird, made by Tractor Beverages, some organic juice thing. I'm like i have a story that fits this but....
Archive of the Odd #7 stories told in the style of found footage, also known epistolary, neo-epistolary, found file, or found document fiction. Essentially, stories told in the form of other documents.
Bizarro Circus of Madness Bizarro
Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human
5 markets and more
From Around the web
Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques
How (and Why) To Define a Strong Author Brand I do like the examples here
What Makes an Antinovel? 6 Key Elements and Examples
From Betty
Six Ways to Make Fantasy Travel More Interesting
Six Pieces of Misunderstood Storytelling Advice
What Storytellers Should Know About Normalization
Bringing Necromancy to Life in Your Story
Making Your Story Immersive
Five Tips on Writing for the Second Read
Can Placeholders Cause Problems?
The Best Way to “Show, Don’t Tell” –Scene Segmenting
Cinematic Technique for Fiction Writers
Trigger Questions: The Worldbuilding Game-Changer
6 Tips for Creating Chemistry Between Characters
A Peek Inside the Mind of a Developmental Editor
5 Red Flags Your Novel Might Be Too Much Work to Read
Villains vs. Antagonists
What’s A Writer to Do NOW With Social Media?
The Heart of the Matter
Character Secret Thesaurus: Living Under a Curse
Character Secret Thesaurus: Giving Up a Child
Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques
Seven Writing Fears That May Be Holding You Back from Greatness
The answer is always community
How to Write Believable Characters in Unbelievable Situations
How to use hopes and dreams to make a character come alive
When the Hero in Your Manuscript Can’t—or Shouldn’t—Change
Writing Research isn’t for the Fainthearted
How to Battle One of a Writer's Worst Enemies—PROCRASTINATION
The Enduring Relevance and Power of Written Words: 3 Essential Tools for Writers
The Pooh Crew—Real-life People Every Writer Needs in Their Writing Life
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Not following the tropes might turn off some readers. They're there for the comforting formula. Even in my fandom challenge
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
How about you? What are your favorite tropes (Hurt/Comfort for me, found family)? Which ones do you write? Which ones have you subverted? How did that work? (and let's not yuck on someone's yum please). How well do you play with tropes? Apparently I play poorly with romance ones at least.
Open Calls
Tractor Beam Issue 2 Soilpunk (sci-fi involving soil) with the theme of ‘The Garden’ Caveat by me - no one is sure if the 1,200$ is split between all the authors or per story (my bet is on the former). I checked the webpage and it's weird, made by Tractor Beverages, some organic juice thing. I'm like i have a story that fits this but....
Archive of the Odd #7 stories told in the style of found footage, also known epistolary, neo-epistolary, found file, or found document fiction. Essentially, stories told in the form of other documents.
Bizarro Circus of Madness Bizarro
Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human
5 markets and more
From Around the web
Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques
How (and Why) To Define a Strong Author Brand I do like the examples here
What Makes an Antinovel? 6 Key Elements and Examples
From Betty
Six Ways to Make Fantasy Travel More Interesting
Six Pieces of Misunderstood Storytelling Advice
What Storytellers Should Know About Normalization
Bringing Necromancy to Life in Your Story
Making Your Story Immersive
Five Tips on Writing for the Second Read
Can Placeholders Cause Problems?
The Best Way to “Show, Don’t Tell” –Scene Segmenting
Cinematic Technique for Fiction Writers
Trigger Questions: The Worldbuilding Game-Changer
6 Tips for Creating Chemistry Between Characters
A Peek Inside the Mind of a Developmental Editor
5 Red Flags Your Novel Might Be Too Much Work to Read
Villains vs. Antagonists
What’s A Writer to Do NOW With Social Media?
The Heart of the Matter
Character Secret Thesaurus: Living Under a Curse
Character Secret Thesaurus: Giving Up a Child
Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques
Seven Writing Fears That May Be Holding You Back from Greatness
The answer is always community
How to Write Believable Characters in Unbelievable Situations
How to use hopes and dreams to make a character come alive
When the Hero in Your Manuscript Can’t—or Shouldn’t—Change
Writing Research isn’t for the Fainthearted
How to Battle One of a Writer's Worst Enemies—PROCRASTINATION
The Enduring Relevance and Power of Written Words: 3 Essential Tools for Writers
The Pooh Crew—Real-life People Every Writer Needs in Their Writing Life
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