The Trope Thesaurus: Fantasy and Science Fiction

Crafting beloved fantasy or science fiction requires a plan. Sure, we can create gorgons and gargoyles who control gravity (especially when our current manuscript is waiting), but getting from a concept to a finished story requires persistence and a plan. Tropes help us hook readers because we entice them with a promise of an emotional journey. Tropes are the breadcrumbs that pull our readers deeper into our stories because they are familiar concepts. As authors, we need to embed tropes into our stories. Think about these tropes: orphan, forced proximity, and forbidden love. Gideon the Ninth, Star Wars, and Guardians of the Galaxy share these exact tropes, but their story flavors differ vastly. Their stories demonstrate found families, conflict, and transformation. These relationships resonate because we struggle with these same human emotions daily. Reality sucks. The fantasy and science fiction genres help us transcend the grind but retain the relationships. That's the key. It’s how the tropes are developed that makes the difference. In The Trope Thesaurus: Fantasy and Science Fiction, we’ll explore how Goal, Motivation, and Conflict work with tropes.