I don't know about you but lately I have noticed some very tiresome tropes reassuring in modern novels, which leave me ultimately disappointed in the outcome of a novel. Now I am not saying that when executed well some of these things can't be entertaining and effective, but for the most part they feel like lazy tactics to flesh out an otherwise perfectly fine plot.
1. Love triangles
I thought it would be best to get the obvious one out of the way first, I think we are all a bit sick and tired of seeing this trope in contemporary romance. I am not sure many readers really liked it in Twilight but we dealt with it and now it seems to be a common theme in romance. I don't think I need to explain this explicitly, it is just boring to read a character flip flop between love interests for no real reason and it usually makes me find the protagonist really irritating.
However, I do think this was executed well in Beating Ruby by Camilla Monk, the second book in the Spotless series.
2. Less qualified male character pulling rank on female protagonist
This winds me up something chronic; I am partial to a crime novel and I love when the lead is a female FBI agent who is fucking great at her job, but somehow most authors feel the need to have her male love interest, usually less qualified, pull rank on her. The man will charge ahead in to dangerous situations to save the female breaking a nail, if she is a badass FBI agent with advanced combat and negotiation training why not let her do her job and save the day mister local police officer. The worst part is the female is always indebted to him for saving the day, where she could have clearly managed on her own, at this point I will just put a book down when this happens.
3. Female protagonists apologising for male love interest’s mistakes
Few things are more frustrated than the ‘bad guy’ boyfriend who is moody and just an arsehole for the entire book. Actually there is, books where the author decides that in the final chapter our female protagonist has to apologise for not giving him a fair chance, even though he has done nothing to deserve one. For example; man cheats on protagonist to teach her some sort of lesson or prove that he is damaged and doesn't think he is worthy of love, then gets angry at the protagonist for not trusting him and she begs his forgiveness and for another chance… WHAT IS THAT ABOUT.
4. Female protagonists bashing feminism
This issue is only made worse by the addition of a female author; nothing is more cringeworthy to me than a female author writing a protagonist who says something along the lines of “I know I should be a feminist but”. It kind of makes my skin crawl, I just wish that women would promote feminism as the positive movement it actually is.
5. Female protagonist being a general bitch to everyone for no reason
When the female protagonist has a stick up her arse for absolutely no reason and continues to be a bitch to everyone; men and women in equal measure. Usually her problems are FAR worse than anyone else’s and she is the poor unfortunate soul being unfairly treated. Why not write a well-rounded and properly adjusted character, I don’t mind if she’s a bit of a bitch as long as her character is developed thoroughly.
1. Love triangles
I thought it would be best to get the obvious one out of the way first, I think we are all a bit sick and tired of seeing this trope in contemporary romance. I am not sure many readers really liked it in Twilight but we dealt with it and now it seems to be a common theme in romance. I don't think I need to explain this explicitly, it is just boring to read a character flip flop between love interests for no real reason and it usually makes me find the protagonist really irritating.
However, I do think this was executed well in Beating Ruby by Camilla Monk, the second book in the Spotless series.
2. Less qualified male character pulling rank on female protagonist
This winds me up something chronic; I am partial to a crime novel and I love when the lead is a female FBI agent who is fucking great at her job, but somehow most authors feel the need to have her male love interest, usually less qualified, pull rank on her. The man will charge ahead in to dangerous situations to save the female breaking a nail, if she is a badass FBI agent with advanced combat and negotiation training why not let her do her job and save the day mister local police officer. The worst part is the female is always indebted to him for saving the day, where she could have clearly managed on her own, at this point I will just put a book down when this happens.
3. Female protagonists apologising for male love interest’s mistakes
Few things are more frustrated than the ‘bad guy’ boyfriend who is moody and just an arsehole for the entire book. Actually there is, books where the author decides that in the final chapter our female protagonist has to apologise for not giving him a fair chance, even though he has done nothing to deserve one. For example; man cheats on protagonist to teach her some sort of lesson or prove that he is damaged and doesn't think he is worthy of love, then gets angry at the protagonist for not trusting him and she begs his forgiveness and for another chance… WHAT IS THAT ABOUT.
4. Female protagonists bashing feminism
This issue is only made worse by the addition of a female author; nothing is more cringeworthy to me than a female author writing a protagonist who says something along the lines of “I know I should be a feminist but”. It kind of makes my skin crawl, I just wish that women would promote feminism as the positive movement it actually is.
5. Female protagonist being a general bitch to everyone for no reason
When the female protagonist has a stick up her arse for absolutely no reason and continues to be a bitch to everyone; men and women in equal measure. Usually her problems are FAR worse than anyone else’s and she is the poor unfortunate soul being unfairly treated. Why not write a well-rounded and properly adjusted character, I don’t mind if she’s a bit of a bitch as long as her character is developed thoroughly.
Let me know some of the fiction tropes that you have noticed, these sort of things get right on my nerves!!
Charley x
Comments
Post a Comment