by Madelle Morgan
In the Muskoka series of contemporary romance novellas I'm writing, I will incorporate several of the familiar tropes listed below.
Although, honestly, none of my books will have titles like The Bad Boy Billionaire's Secret Bride so as not to be confused with category romance!
Types of Hero
Protector (Military, Cop, Secret Agent, Firefighter, Bodyguard, etc.)
Sheikh
Billionaire/Tycoon/Developer
Royalty (King, Prince, Earl, Lord, Count, etc.)
Medical doctor/Surgeon
Cowboy
Boy Next Door
Bad Boy
Who Are You Again?
Amnesia
Mistaken Identity
One Night Stand
Reunited Lovers
Friends to Lovers
Enemies to Lovers
Marriage
Marriage of Convenience
Bride
Babies
Baby on Doorstep
Secret Baby
Accidental Pregnancy
Beauty and the Beast (damaged Hero)
Cinderella (Heroine is transformed)
Upstairs/Downstairs (Heroine falls for Hero in higher social class or vice-versa; e.g. Wuthering Heights)
Have I left out any of your favorite tropes?
Which are your favorites?
www.madellemorgan.com
5 comments:
A reader asked for a definition of "trope".
It is a literary plot device that is used over and over by many authors (and not just in romance).
For example, you will see many romances with a bad boy hero who is "tamed" by the heroine.
Other examples:
A romance with a heroine with amnesia who falls in love with her ex (forgetting they hate each other) - Amnesia trope.
A single millionaire who falls in love with the nanny he hires to take care of his late sister's baby - Millionaire and Baby on Doorstep tropes.
A cowboy who has to marry to keep the ranch - Cowboy and Marriage of Convenience tropes.
You'll see essentially the same stories told over and over, but with a twist that makes them fresh.
They say there are no new plots!
Thanks for the information, Madelle. You have such a clear way of describing things. I tend to like the damaged hero and heroine who save each other or more to the point, heal in order to be with each other.
Hi Madelle, I like forced proximity stories. For ex., chase stories where the hero and heroine must escape together, or trapped in a snowstorm.
I also like protector heroes and baby on the doorstep stories. And I REALLY like new takes on fairy tales.
I don't mind tropes when they have a fresh twist. That's hard to do!
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I completely left out the Forced Proximity trope; e.g., the "couple stranded in a remote cabin during a snowstorm" plot, and the "On the run" plot.
Thanks!
I like your approach to this topic and learned quite a bit. The gremlins seemed to have eaten my previous post so I am posting again.
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