Bookish Terms and Phrases
Whether you are a reader or a writer, you will know there are many niche phrases that are important to know in the bookish world. In my future weeklies, I want to dive deeper into the editing, publishing, and querying but before I do, I will be sharing key bookish words you should know and next week I will focus on keywords in the publishing and editing world!
When I am browsing bookstagram (Instagram) or Booktok (Tiktok) I commonly see many tropes and keywords about certain kinds of books. If you are a fantasy writer, it is important to read fantasy books and to identify what kind of ideas and tropes you may use in your own book. Do you write about Enemies to Lovers? A Chosen Hero? These are key terms to know to understand what your audience might be looking for or will enjoy.
No matter if you like these tropes and ideas or not, they are important to know!
What Are Tropes?
Tropes are a figurative word or phrase used to describe an idea or moment. These are often themes or repetitive genre-specific themes found in books.
Common Tropes
While there are countless tropes, here are a few you might recognize!
Antihero: A hero with a dark past without heroic attributes.
Big Reveal: A classic ending with a big reveal, all answers answered at one time in the book.
Chosen Hero: A predestined hero is chosen to go on their quest.
Damsel in Distress: Cliché a woman is trapped/ needs to be rescued by the hero.
Enemies to Lovers: Characters that are at odds, fall in love.
Everyone Did It: Mysteries or horrors where everyone is a suspect.
Fake Relationship: Romance trope with a fake relationship, usually turning into real love.
Forbidden Love: Romance trope where two unlikely lovers meet. Age gaps, different worlds, etc.
Forced Proximity: Two characters are forced together in a small space, shared bed, overnight, etc. Sexual/ romantic tension.
Friends to Lovers: Friends realizing their feelings for each other.
Good VS Evil: Classic villain faces a classic hero.
History Returns/ Repeats itself: A character’s past comes to haunt them; bad things keep happening again to drive the suspense and tension.
Inclement Weather: Bad weather creates dangerous situations, increases stress, isolates the characters.
Instalove: Fated lovers who fall in love the second they meet.
Love Triangle: When a character is pursued by and must choose between two lovers.
Mysterious Neighbor: Someone new moves in, creating a strange series of events.
No Communication: Isolating characters by ignoring each other, knocking out the power, cell service, etc.
Nosey Reporters/ Sleuths: Nosey characters who ask driving questions to ignite the plot.
Opposites Attract: Two opposite characters falling in love.
Parallel World: A world existing alongside our own to explain the plot or challenges in the story.
Prophecy or Quest: Same as chosen hero; everything has already been predestined.
Slow Burn Romance: Romance that burns slowly over a long period of time with high burning tension.
Soulmate: Loves meant to be, predestined.
The Reluctant Hero: A main character who doesn’t want to follow their prophecy or play their role.
Tragic Backstory: Common with antiheroes… a dark story to help readers feel bad for and cheer on a morally gray character.
Twist Ending: Common in all genres, to surprise the reader and create a surprise ending.
How Are Tropes Helpful in Writing?
It's good to be aware of what is being written in your genre as a writer. If I am writing a fantasy book, I better know every fantasy trope inside and out, so I know what my readers’ tastes are. I'm not advising you to write the same thing as everyone else, but these tropes are tried and true and are some absolute fan favorites. Know what is working in your genre and know how you can twist some of these into brand new ideas.
Conclusion
Today's topic is a little light. I want to get started with some definitions just to get everyone on the same page. Next week I want to dive into different kinds of editing and potentially that same week or the following week dive into the publishing world. Get ready to know the difference between beta reading and proofs, what a manuscript is, and what it means when I say “querying.”
Have a great week!
Danni Lynn