The usual tropes

[dadadadiox]

I’ve not read a response but I suspect I will be in the minority when I say I love cliches, metaphors, and to a lesser degree tropes. Does that make me a hack? Maybe. Do I care? Not one iota.

I like cliches because they’re familiar. You can drop one in dialogue, or narrative, and nearly everyone knows precisely what it means. That can save words. Ordinary people use cliches. Using them in dialogue sounds authentic if they’re used correctly and sparingly.

I have used tropes; the MMC with a big dick, the FMC who craves dick, the flirty cock-teasers, jealous girlfriends, and cock-blockers. I’m okay with them because these are common themes in romance and erotica. I don’t believe most readers care.

Is that hacky? Who cares? I write for fun.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Most genres use some kind of formula, which is surrounded by tropes. In a Western, it's hard not to use one of the following: a saloon, horses, gunfight, stagecoach, ranch, or farm. A hard-boiled detective story can't be hard-boiled or detective without both. I don't think tropes are a bad thing, but in sex stories, you might want to limit the trope to one or two.

 

[MillieDynamite]

The widespread use of the term "not worth a hill of beans" came after the film Casablanca used it in Rick's speech to Elsia. "But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that."

I’ve not read a response but I suspect I will be in the minority when I say I love cliches, metaphors, and to a lesser degree tropes. Does that make me a hack? Maybe. Do I care? Not one iota.

I like cliches because they’re familiar. You can drop one in dialogue, or narrative, and nearly everyone knows precisely what it means. That can save words. Ordinary people use cliches. Using them in dialogue sounds authentic if they’re used correctly and sparingly.

I have used tropes; the MMC with a big dick, the FMC who craves dick, the flirty cock-teasers, jealous girlfriends, and cock-blockers. I’m okay with them because these are common themes in romance and erotica. I don’t believe most readers care.

Is that hacky? Who cares? I write for fun.

 

[dadadadiox]

The widespread use of the term "not worth a hill of beans" came after the film Casablanca used it in Rick's speech to Elsia. "But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that."

I’m a huge Bogart fan and use lines from his films all the time. I haven’t used that one, but now that you mention it…

 

[MillieDynamite]

"Here's looking at you, Squid." "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it." "I hope dey don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. Chances are you'll get life. That means if you're a good girl, you'll be out in 20 years. I'll be waiting for you. If they hang you, I'll always remember you."

 

[THBGato]

I've realised I love the "oh no, there's only one bed!" trope.... but that might be because of all those times when real life was stranger than fiction!

 

[AG31]

When I started writing erotica I was sure I was disgorging pure tropes. It took me a while to figure out that there was almost nothing out there like my stuff. I wish my stuff were tropier, so I could find stuff like it and read it.

 

[EmilyMiller]

trope noun - ˈtrōp​

: a common or overused theme or device : CLICHÉ​

In my life and other artistic pursuits, these have been something I've always avoided. If it was popular and other folks were doing it, it wasn't for me. I'm not a militant non-conformist, like someone who won't see a film that the whole world likes. But I do cast a bit of doubt on a popular thing because one must never underestimate the stupidity that people in large groups are capable of.

So when I turned my attention to writing erotica, it was with this mindset in place. I know you are smiling right now, if not laughing out loud, because as you expect, in erotica it's damn near impossible to do. You'd have to dip your toes into circus clown vs. hare krishna BDSM in the time of the American revolution, to find something that hasn't been done before.

And my first story was as tropey as it gets - best friend's mom. And yeah it bothered me quite a bit. But as I brainstormed on the idea, I realized, that in this genre of fiction, most ideas are kinda tropey.

So I've decided to just say 'fuck it' and embrace it. Knowing that the best I can do is put my own RR stamp on the trope, like metaphorical graffiti. And that's been my new challenge. The plumber's visit, horny MILF next door, pool boy, church ladies descent, but done my way. Bow-Chicka-Wow-Wow.

So right now, I'm starting what seems to be a time-honored tradition here. The - Mature Woman Sits on my Lap During a Trip, story. I say "mature woman" because I don't do incest within the nuclear family. Looking forward to it. No clowns, saffron-colored robes, or powdered wigs to be found.

So what " usual trope" in erotica have you enjoyed the most? Feel free to self-advertise and post a link.

Some tropes are far removed from reality. Others are tropes precisely because they reflect real life.

Emily

 

[MillieDynamite]

You're a smart man. Yes, you are!

I’m a huge Bogart fan and use lines from his films all the time. I haven’t used that one, but now that you mention it…

 

[MillieDynamite]

A major character has been shot. Round up the usual tropes.

 

[samhasstories]

I've realised I love the "oh no, there's only one bed!" trope.... but that might be because of all those times when real life was stranger than fiction!

I've definitely used variations of this. And its cousin, "oh no, nudity for some reason!"

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’m a huge Bogart fan and use lines from his films all the time. I haven’t used that one, but now that you mention it…

I’ve used the “beginning of a beautiful friendship” line in erotica.

Emily

 

[intim8]

Pizza guy is a huge trope, so I turned my On the Job story into a completely nude pizza place, and a 'bad cop' cuck drama complete with gunfire and the cop getting slapped in the face with a huge dick.

 

[dadadadiox]

You're a smart man. Yes, you are!

His birthday is Christmas Day 1899. I always take the week off between the holidays. For many years I have referred to that as Bogie Week. I watch as many Bogart films as time allows. Most years I'll watch a handful. My record is thirteen. That was a lazy week in my life but I saw great lesser known Bogies like Action In The North Atlantic with the model Navy ships in a bathtub scene and Across The Pacific, an underrated Bogie. I propose a national holiday.

 

[dadadadiox]

I’ve used the “beginning of a beautiful friendship” line in erotica.

Emily

Oddly, the last line in my next chapter is, "Here's looking at you, kid."

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'd vote for that.

His birthday is Christmas Day 1899. I always take the week off between the holidays. For many years I have referred to that as Bogie Week. I watch as many Bogart films as time allows. Most years I'll watch a handful. My record is thirteen. That was a lazy week in my life but I saw great lesser known Bogies like Action In The North Atlantic with the model Navy ships in a bathtub scene and Across The Pacific, an underrated Bogie. I propose a national holiday.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Oh, tropes are not a bad thing at all, and not the same as a cliché. To quote tvtropes.org:

A trope is a storytelling device or convention, a shortcut for describing situations the storyteller can reasonably assume the audience will recognize... tropes are tools that the creator of a work of art uses to express their ideas to the audience. It's pretty much impossible to create a story without tropes.

Once in a while I'll go over one of my stories to pick out the tropes, intentional or not, and list them on my blog. When stuck for story ideas I find it helpful to comb the TVTropes list of romance and love tropes, or lists of romance story plots like this one from author Mindy Klasky. Though watch out for The Most Problematic Tropes in Fiction, according to author-with-the-most-grating-voice-ever, Jenna Moreci.

Enemies-to-lovers is a favorite trope for many romance readers, and I set out to finally tackle it in both My Best Summer Mistake and Pickle-face and the Professor, with varying success.

 

[TheRedChamber]

“beginning of a beautiful friendship with benefits”

The new generation has really ruined romance, but on the other hand made writing erotica much easier.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Tropes are only a problem if they're used artlessly. You can see through it when that's the case - in the second act of a rom-com, the lie that one of the protagonists has been telling all the while comes out, and the characters fall out, but we know a heartfelt speech will bring them back together in the third act. I don't think that means you can't, or shouldn't, employ that device - just don't employ it because it's the done thing. Employ it because it's what makes sense for your story and your characters. It's a fine line, but I think readers can tell the difference which side of it you're on.

I agree with this. It's impossible to avoid using tropes. There are thousands of them. Have a look at the site tvtropes-dot-whatev. It's huge and not only does it document every kind of trope that you could possibly think of, it also databases movies, tv shows, books, video games etc and lists all the dozens of tropes that they use. So google 'Star Wars tropes' and you will find the tvtrope page for that movie and you will see an astonishing list of tropes found in that movie.

The trick when writing a trope to make it read like the trope isn't noticed, or at least isn't obvious. Damsel in distress is a massive old and tired trope, yet we can still write good damsel stories today (and we can write whole lotsa bad ones too). The other side of it, especially in one-shot and stroke stories is to shoot the moon and play the trope up really hard, so that the trope is obviously intended. That can work too.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

Perhaps this entire genre, erotica, IS the trope in itself. Men and women satisfying themselves through whatever circumstances, means or obstacles are before them, via the exhaustive list of ways in which such satisfaction happens.

 

[Djmac1031]

I'm pretty sure every story I've ever written is based on a trope. But, like @Rob_Royale I try to put my own spin on it, and have intentionally flipped a few tropes where I can.

Which is probably a trope unto itself: "reversed expectations."

 

[Trionyx]

Frustrating is coming up with a ‘new’ idea only to have a comment stating that the theme had been done many times before.

In a different vein, I wrote one recently which uses a very common trope and in a brief postscript, I acknowledge the fact and ‘hope the reader likes’ my version. We will see if it calms down the boo-birds. Doubt it will.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Frustrating is coming up with a ‘new’ idea only to have a comment stating that the theme had been done many times before.

Yeah, but it's easier to criticize than write so ... don't take it to heart.

 

[gunhilltrain]

trope noun - ˈtrōp​

: a common or overused theme or device : CLICHÉ​

.

So right now, I'm starting what seems to be a time-honored tradition here. The - Mature Woman Sits on my Lap During a Trip, story. I say "mature woman" because I don't do incest within the nuclear family. Looking forward to it. No clowns, saffron-colored robes, or powdered wigs to be found.

By next week, I should have a unique take (I hope!) on the lap/trip trope (L.T.T.?) published on here.

 

[TheRedChamber]

By next week, I should have a unique take (I hope!) on the lap/trip trope (L.T.T.?) published on here.

Funnily enough, I had a guy favourite my story His Sister in His Lap. When I went to check his other stories he had literally 15 stories with 'lap' in either the title or the description. You're probably going to get at least one other follower from the story, unique or not.