

Blackmail: The heroine is blackmailed by the hero into marrying him, usually as a form of revenge or payback for a previous slight or insult, real or imagined.As a protagonist, they live by their own rules or sexual code, which makes them irresistibly unpredictable. Bisexual Hero Or Heroine: This character is openly and equally attracted to both men and women.Betrayal: The heroine is betrayed by the hero – the betrayal may be genuine or the result of a misunderstanding.(See Small Town, Fish Out of Water, Country Inn) He doesn’t want to run the world he just wants to be king of his own castle. Beta Hero: The good guy, the guy next door – this type of hero is usually more even-tempered and more realistic than the typical alpha hero.Best Friend’s Brother: The heroine sees her friend’s brother in a new romantic light and must hide her feelings from him and her friend.Beauty And The Beast: The hero, often disfigured or injured in an accident, must overcome his physical and emotional scars to find love with the heroine.Bachelor Auction: The heroine ‘buys’ a handsome, wealthy hero for a dinner or once-off date at a charity function.She falls for an older, local hero or even the handsome, single employer. Au-Pair Abroad: The young heroine takes a job as a nanny or child-minder in a new city or exotic location.Typically, the hero is a baseball, football, or hockey player, but the trope can extend to tennis stars, racing car drivers, etc. Athlete Hero: Sports themes are popular in North American romances, especially for teen and young adult audiences.Asian Hero: The hero is either fully Asian or of Asian ancestry (Chinese, Indian, Korean etc.) and now living in UK, Europe, America or Australia.Artificial Intelligence: The heroine falls for a sentient robot or even a disembodied form of A.I., such as a holographic character.The heroine may also be in the military and is attracted to someone in her unit or during a mission. Armed Forces: A sexy, dynamic hero in uniform draws the heroine into a relationship, but a career in the army, navy etc., creates conflict.Amnesia: The hero or heroine suffers temporary or permanent memory loss and is forced to start over and reclaim their identity.(See Mediterranean, Asian, Russian Hero etc.) Alpha Hero: The heroine must contend with a strong-willed, domineering, hyper-masculine, successful and wealthy hero.Alien Hero: A human heroine falls in love with, or is abducted by, an alien life force hero from another planet.

Keep in mind, romance allows for non-human, humanoid, supernatural, and other fantastical characters, so it a great opportunity to explore issues of identity, sexuality and gender. When looking at the list, keep in mind that the tropes can be applied to either genders and – as the constructs of identity become more progressive and inclusive – to transgender and androgynous characters. Gender Rules for Tropes – There Are No Rules! (See Also: 3 Ways To Build Your Own Genre)
#Enemies to lovers trope highschool romance free#
While we have covered many plot scenarios in the list, there are still thousands more out there – so feel free to add in your own! The tropes can be explored through cross- or sub-genres, such as romantic suspense or sci-fi etc. As you read the list, you’ll discover that some tropes relate to or intersect with others. You can use more than one trope in a story. It is simply a trigger for a story and provides a loose theme for the over-arching plot. (See Also: 5 Surprisingly Simple Ways To Subvert Stereotypes In Stories)Ī trope doesn’t take the place of well-plotted story or provide an excuse for flat, one-dimensional characters. The challenge for a writer in the romance genre is to find a fresh, clever or interesting way to interpret, deconstruct, subvert or breathe new life into a trope. Often called a ‘hook’ in the romance industry, it provides a tried-and-tested scenario for a romantic or erotic novel, short story or screenplay.

It can also be a defined type of character found in a story. It is a genre-specific device that is the catalyst for the central plot or conflict in a story. From the traditional to the on-trend, the timeless to the modern, the sweet to the steamy, you’ll find 101 romance tropes for writers in our exhaustive list!Ī trope speaks to a ‘type’ of story that readers expect.
