Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you. I love you too.
Hellooo, everybody!
Several years ago, I made a video listing the ten worst tropes in fiction. And guess what,
books keep getting shittier. Because of this, now felt like a good time to expand the list,
and really examine the suckage. Today I am listing ten more of the worst tropes
in fiction. Nearly all have these results in an instant DNF for me.
(BUTTERCUP) I hate these tropes!
Unfortunately for me, a lot of these tropes are really popular. In fact,
some of them are on trend. Now we're all different, you may love some of these tropes,
and let me tell you, you are 100% entitled to your horrible taste. But I'm keeping it real here,
these tropes can be found in a variety of genres. They plague so many different novels,
and if it wasn't obvious, trope number ten really gets under my skin. Let's get to it.
(The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.)
Before we get started, today's video was sponsored by my friends over at Fictionary.
(BUTTERCUP) Thank you Fictionary. I love you.
Fictionary is the only software for authors who are looking for a super practical,
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it focuses on the developmental side of editing. That means it makes sure your story makes sense,
and grabs readers with every step. What I love about Fictionary is that it's so thorough and
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to make sure you're keeping up with proven story structures. And it helps you track your editing
process, so you can see just how far you’ve come. And because they're so amazing, and the folks
at Fictionary, are offering you 20% off using code, JENNA20. If you wanna create an impactful,
gripping story that hopefully doesn't have any of the tropes on this list, check out
Fictionary and get an extra 20% off by plugging in the discount code. I got it linked below.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you
wanna be alerted AS soon as I upload, ring that bell. If you want a guide for writing
your book from start to finish, check out Shut Up and Write the Book. It is available in ebook,
paperback, hardback, and audiobook. It's available at all major retailers.
I got it linked below. If award winning dark fantasy romance is more your vibe,
check out the first two books in The Savior’s Series: The Savior’s Champion and The Savior’s
Sister. And you wanna check ‘em out soon because The Savior’s Army is coming really soon.
And now I am breaking down ten more of the worst tropes in fiction,
in my humble, but completely correct, opinion.
Number One (1): The surprise baby. The only surprise baby we like is Butters, right?
You know what really spices up a romance? Placenta. The surprise baby is a really popular
feature of romance novels. Particularly romance novels with a lot of sex. You gotta make that baby
somehow. But I’m failing to understand how there’s anything sexy about pregnancy and childbirth.
Morning sickness? Sexy! Hormone fluctuations? Sexy! Swollen feet? Sexy!
I think the appeal heavily relies on the daddy kink. Some people are super into
a paternal figure, and seeing this man taking care of a pregnant woman to them
is swoonworthy. That's not my jam. Sure a man who cares for his partner is lovely,
but it shouldn't take a pregnancy for that to happen. And isn't caring for your partner just
a bare minimum requirement of being a partner? Not to mention the fact that the entire act of
pregnancy is not hot, at all. Every woman I've known who’s been pregnant has shared nothing
but mishaps and horror stories. You realize they shit themselves during the delivery,
right? Have you ever heard of a mucus plug? Authors, give your characters some condoms and
save the baby for the epilogue. This trope isn’t giving what you think it’s giving.
Number Two (2): She breasted boobily to the stairs, and titted downward. This line is
often used to describe male authors who over sexualize and objectify their female
characters. You can usually spot this right away because the author will start talking
about the female character’s genitals, when they have absolutely no relation to
the scene. Genitals usually aren't relevant unless someone’s diddling them. For example,
I once read a male author describe a teenaged female character's hard nipples poking through
her shirt while she worked out. I’ve read male authors describe ovaries tingling, sentient tits,
and vaginas that double as a Slip ‘N Slide. And this shit will be happening while the character
is at work or school, nothing remotely sexual is going on. But the reader just HAD to know
that woman's breasts sighed with relief. Because that's totally a thing tits do. As much as I love
female rep, if you can’t write a woman without objectifying her, don't write women. At all.
Number Three (3): The quirky, relatable looser. This used to be a very gendered trope. The average
Joe with no redeeming qualities will snag the hot girl by the end of the book. But over the
years this trope has become applicable to all genders. And I hate it. I once read a book where
the female main character attends a black tie event wearing a Halloween costume. We the reader
are supposed to see this as playful and goofy, as opposed to tacky and sophomoric. Writers,
I promise you, you can make your characters relatable without making them total dumpster
fires. This is especially relevant if there’s any kind of romance in the novel. And there usually is
if there's a quirky, relatable loser in the mix. You have to give them some redeeming qualities,
otherwise why is the love interest falling for them? They don't have to be hot,
but can they be kind? Successful? Can they have integrity or any common sense? Why is common
sense always missing in these characters? I love an everyman as much as the next guy,
but I'm not going to ship the human embodiment of perfection with a lemon.
Number Four (4): The world dump. You knew this was going to be on the list. Fantasy and sci-fi
writers, I know you love Tolkin, but oh my god, let it go. Literature has changed, and most of us
do not need, nor do we want multiple pages to describe a tree. A world dump is an info dump
that focuses exclusively on world building. And while world building is necessary to fiction,
it's typically seen as supplementary. I’m reading your book for the story and the characters;
the world is just the setting they’re traveling through. And when you dump factoids about the
world in minute detail, not only is it boring, it’s also an insult to the reader’s intelligence.
The world naturally unfolds around the characters through the prose and action. If the sun is always
beating down on the characters, we can tell it’s a hot climate. If the characters say “Oh my gods”
we can tell that they are polytheistic. To then pause the story to dump all of this information
implies that you believe your audience has basic reading comprehension skills. If you're aiming
for a stupid demographic, then keep doing what you're doing ‘cuz you’re nailing it.
Number Five (5): Predatory age gaps. She’s sixteen, he’s twenty-six. She’s
eighteen, he’s one hundred. She’s twenty-one, and he’s centuries upon centuries old. I'm
calling the police. I shouldn’t have to explain the logic here. I feel like most
people should understand why this is creepy. But every time I bring this up there are writers out
there fighting me on it. “What's wrong with a teen girl dating an adult man? I did that,
and look at me now!" Yeah, you're divorced and traumatized. For those who don't know,
when an adult romantically pursues a child, it’s called grooming. The brain finishes
developing in a person’s mid to late twenties. So if you’re pursuing someone much younger than that,
it’s a lot easier to mold and manipulate them, which is incredibly dangerous. Now if there's
a massive age gap, but both characters are fully mature adults, have at it. But that's
never the case in fiction. It’s always a little child with a full grown adult. Or a barely legal
girl with a creature that’s centuries old. And that's fucking gross. People are gonna
argue against this in the comments, but that's probably because they're dating or married to
a predator and they don't wanna admit it. If the shoe fits, lace it up and wear it.
Number Six (6): The author is clearly an only child. “Hey, little bro.” What's up big sis?”
“I love you little bro.” “Ew, you’re so sappy, but I love you too big sis.” Real siblings talk
like this all the time. I understand that maybe you don't have sibling experience, but you've
met people right? Don't any of your friends have brothers or sisters? Have you ever heard
them refer to their siblings in this way? No, because it's fucking weird. If anything, siblings
are more likely to insult each other. I called my older sister oompa loompa when we were teenagers
because she’s shorter than me, and because I’m a bitch. This issue bleeds into best friends as
well. Sometimes the friendship dynamic doesn't make any sense. Friends who never disagree,
who never poke fun at each other, or question their life decisions. Sounds fake, but okay.
Number three. Why do I keep doing this? This is seven! There are seven fingers.
I have a degree in finance.
Number Seven (7): The bar is in hell. People really need to up their standards when it comes
to fictional men, and real men, but we're not talking about them right now. Have you ever read
a book where the male love interest has no problem when women are sexually harassed, unless it's the
female main character being sexually harassed, and for some reason that makes him a hero? I
sure have. That’s actually a staple in a lot of fiction. You'll read about a Viking, a warrior,
or a fairy that has no problem when women are groped, unless you touch his girlfriend, then
he’ll fucking gut you. We love complicit misogyny. And if it's not that shit, it's something else.
The love interest treats the woman with the most basic level of decency, and we're expected to
throw him a parade. Or the man drugs and assaults her, and we are expected to forgive him because
he did it for her own good. Heterosexual women, I am begging you to have at least one standard.
Number Eight (8): Purple prose. We get it, you need attention. Purple prose is when an author
writes in an overly flowery manner, to the point where every line reads as poetry. Some
writers can pull this off because they have a particular skilled poetic voice. But most just
crash and burn. It’s fine if you wanna throw some poetic jargon into the mix when it calls for it,
but we don't need it for every single goddamn line. Your werewolf erotica ain’t that deep,
Jessica. Purple prose when written poorly, and it's usually written poorly,
reads as exaggerated and pontifical. The language is confusing and clunky,
it's a chore to get through, plus it's just plain cheesy.
Number Nine (9): The infantilized woman. She’s 4’8 and 100 lbs soaking wet.
She’s so cute when she’s angry, the way she just sticks out her bottom lip and pouts.
“What are we gonna do?” She asked the big strong man,
because clearly she can’t make any of her own decisions.
There was a child-like innocence within her. You could see it in her large blue eyes,
and her rosy cherubic cheeks. Also the fact she was literally the size of a child.
What is it with writers creating these women who resemble elementary schoolers?
When male writers do this I think ‘Oh, I get it. You're a pedophile.’ But when
female heterosexual writers do this, I'm stumped. What is the appeal of
incentivizing your own gender? Turning her into an agency-less child. I got nothing. I
read so many books where the leading lady could fit into your pocket, and honestly, it's gross.
I feel like inferiority complex and fragile ego have to be a component of this decision.
And last but certainly not least, Number Ten (10): When limited experience and research seeps into
your writing. This isn't so much a trope, but I had to include it because it’s so damn awful. Have
you ever read a book and thought, ‘Bless this writer’s heart, they have no idea what they’re
talking about.’ I once read a book where the evil ex-girlfriend was a model, because of course she
was, and she screamed at her agent over the phone because he didn’t land her a high-profile lingerie
gig. That's not how the modeling industry works. Agencies have hundreds of models under their wing,
and they are in charge, not the model. If you screamed at your agent you’d probably be dropped
immediately. I read another book where the dreamy love interest takes the main character on the most
romantic date imaginable. And that elegant, jaw-dropping date was lunch at the Macaroni
Grill. Yes, I'm serious. The main character is in awe, she can't believe that her love interest
would take her to such a classy, refined, establishment. No shade to chain restaurants,
some of them are fuckin’ delicious. You can pry the Olive Garden out of my cold dead hands. But
I'm also aware that these establishments are not fine dining, their family restaurants. You can't
convince the reader that this is the most lavish date imaginable, when the menu comes with crayons.
And lastly, we gotta talk about sex scenes. Brace yourself. I’ve read lesbian sex scenes
written by men, where the women were scissoring. I've read hetero sex scenes written by men,
where the man literally sticks his tongue in and out of the vagina, like a lizard.
Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. Mmm.
Butters did I disturb you with my lizardness?
He just does that over and over again in her hole, until she comes. Not a single clit could
be found in that scene. I read the scenes and I think ‘We get it. You've never pleasured a
woman. Thanks for the heads up.’ The point is if you’re gonna write about a situation you
have no experience in, you need to do some research, or you're gonna end up telling
on yourself. We can tell you didn't look up the modeling industry. We can tell you never
been on a date. And we can tell you couldn't locate the clitoris if it was right in front
of you. We are not always able to control our experience, or lack thereof, so if you don't
know what you're talking about, learn about it before you write about it. For God's sake!
So that’s all I got for you today. A huge thank you to Fictionary for sponsoring today's video. If
you want to track your story editing process, and create a plot that will wow readers, definitely
check them out. And don't forget you can get 20% off using code: JENNA20. I got it linked below.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you
wanna be alerted AS soon as I upload, ring that bell. If you want a guide for writing
your book from start to finish, check out Shut Up and Write the Book. It's available in ebook,
paperback, hardback and audiobook, and you can get it at all major retailers. I got it
linked below. If dark romance is more your vibe, especially dark fantasy romance that
doesn't have any of these tropes, check out The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister,
and get on it quick before The Savior’s Army is released.
And be sure to follow me on social media. I’m on Instagram, TikTok,
Facebook and BookBub. And of course you can tweet me at @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Female Voice) Hey there! This is Lisa Cordileone, narrator for Shut Up and Write the Book by Jenna
Moreci. Be sure to subscribe to Jenna’s channel and ring the bell! That way you’re
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