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Kate Noble | Tropes, and why we love them
May 5, 2011
Romance novels are often accused of being formulaic. Of being the same story,
told often. After all, how many different ways can you tell the story of a girl
and a guy (or a guy and a guy, or a were-beast and a girl, depending on the
genre you prefer) falling in love and working there way to a happily ever
after? My general response to that is, how many different ways are there to
make a dress? The answer of course, is TONS. From choice of fabrics, line, length, cut,
style, and level of sophistication, there are a million different ways to make a
dress. And is a dress going to be the same old dress, sewn often? No, of
course not. Any dress Michael Kors makes is going to be different from
Christian Dior, from Jessica McKlintock, from the Gap. Similarly, there are millions of different ways to tell a love story, because a
love story is unique to each individual couple. That said, much like with
clothing, there are certain patterns that romance writers follow, called
tropes. These tropes are not meant to make the stories the same – but they are
recognizable – just as a sundress is from a ballgown. I adore tropes. Certain
ones in particular: Enemies to Lovers Defined perhaps first and best by Shakespeare in Much ado About Nothing,
this is the relationship where two people who have been fighting fervently on
opposite sides finally figure out why they have been putting so much energy into
their contention. And its great to see the fog clear and the couple finally
gets what everyone else has seen for so long. Friends to Lovers I adore this plot -- if only because it's the trope that defines my personal
love story. When two people who have known each other for so long, finally
begin to recognize something more in the other person, well, it's just adorable. My favorite example: EMMA by Jane Austen. Road Trip Romance Two people, previously unknown to each other – or not well known, at least –
make up for that lack by spending every second of every day trying to accomplish
one goal: get from point A to point B. Without the distractions of everyday
life, this couple can't help but fall in love. My favorite example: my latest novel FOLLOW MY LEAD, of
course! In stores now! Marriage of Convenience/Arranged Marriage Some days I long for the days of arranged marriages. It takes out a lot of
uncertainty, a lot of searching, knowing that particular aspect of life will be
predetermined. Then again, you marry a stranger, and have to go through the
courtship of getting to know someone without being able to walk away. But as a
lover of historical romance novels, to watch a couple fall in love within
a marriage is particularly sigh-worthy. My favorite example: THE
SHERBROOKE BRIDE, by Catharine Coulter (one of the first romances I
ever read!) So how about you? What are some of your favorite romance tropes? Let us
know! Kate Noble
Comments
13 comments posted.
Re: Kate Noble | Tropes, and why we love them
The one book I've read recently and can't get out of my mind is Roses by Leila Meacham. Although the book is a bit longer than the normal novel (around 500 pages), don't let it stop you. It was a real page turner, and I couldn't put it down!! Leila had a way of making the characters in the book come so alive, and I got so swept up in the story line, that I finished the book in a couple of days. I still recommend this book to everyone I talk to. I laughed in parts, and cried in others. She is truly a master storyteller. Your book sounds like it will make a very interesting read. Congratulations and best of luck with this book and your future endeavors. It sounds like you have a great insight when in comes to writing, and I'm looking forward to reading your book!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:53am May 5, 2011)
I like Friends to Lovers. One of my first romances was It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn and it's about friends who become lovers...
Btw, I just finished reading Compromised and I love both heroines in it... :) Can't help loving smart heroines... :)
(May Pau 10:00am May 5, 2011)
I like the second chance romances---everybody deserves a second chance.
(Sue Farrell 12:04pm May 5, 2011)
One of my favorite tropes is the boy next door or the best
friend's older brother. I don't know why, but those just get
me every time.
And I loved the Sherbrooke Bride.
(Saranna DeWylde 1:29pm May 5, 2011)
Thank you for your post, Kate.
Of the four tropes you mentioned, I can read romances that revolve around all but marriage of convenience. I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this, but to me there's nothing romantic about legalized prostitution. Consider the value of romantic love in cultures where arranged marriages are common, and what life is like for women there.
I've never read of any historical examples of such marriages that led to true love. At least, not between the husband and wife.
I'm a great believer in love that occurs naturally, willingly. That's the only kind that can stand up to my favorite trope: love vs. fate.
It's thrilling to read of love so powerful it causes those who feel it to overcome great obstacles, brave terrifying dangers, and endure painful hardships. Often they have to break the rules and defy authority. They must learn to think and act outside of the box to reach the fulfillment of their love.
They grow and change in the process; so does their love. If the focal characters are not true heroes and heroines at the start, they are by the end.
How I wish there were more romances like this on the market! Since there aren't, what do I do? You guessed it. I write my own.
Good luck with "Follow My Lead".
(Mary Anne Landers 2:21pm May 5, 2011)
Congrats on the new release, Kate. I'm a huge of revenge and amnesia stories.
(Jane Cheung 5:51pm May 5, 2011)
One of my favorite romances? Julie Garwood's Saving Grace
Or any of her books.
(Diane Sadler 6:43pm May 5, 2011)
My favorite is "enemies to lovers" and I still love to see "Much Ado About Nothing".
(Carol Drummond 6:47pm May 5, 2011)
Good luck with your book!
(Brenda Rupp 10:27pm May 5, 2011)
Friends to lovers. That's my story over and over and I never get tired of it.
(Molly Wilsbacher 11:34pm May 5, 2011)
I love my heroes, be them male or female. When one can give security to the other it's sweet. It's along my role in my family. I'm the fixer. Ever since I got a license and started driving Mom to doctors between college classes, I've fixed the problems. My brother was a fireman, so maybe that was part of it. Of course he used to have the role of little sister's car broke down, come and get me and fix the car until he got sick and those roles were reversed and I was the only person in the family who wasn't afraid to bully him into doing what needed done (usually doctor's appointments). I'm barely above five feet tall and I had to bully the 6'-3" tall older brother I had always looked up to. Until then he was on his own and had been since moving out on his own at 17.
So I love the strong heroes.
(Christina Harrison 11:19am May 6, 2011)
I love the friends to lovers trope. I think it applies to most of the marriages I know about. It definitely applies to my parents. My mother was trying to get the attention of my father's best friend's brother when she was 14 and my father 16. When that didn't work out, my parents became a couple though his mother thought he really could have done better, and held that against my mother for over 40 years (a slight class difference.) A friend from school married one of our classmates, as did my sister, my one brother married one of my sister's classmates, and the other one of his work female co-workers. As for me, I'm still hoping.
(Sigrun Schulz 2:06am May 7, 2011)
Mine would be enemies to lovers probably, although... ALL the SHERBROOK BRIDE series is a favorite of mine and I have all of them. I kind of like the one where the 2 people kinda accidently fall together. My favorite example if this is A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR by Jude Deverauex, which I've read about a hundred times. LOL
Actually that's kinda how my hubby and I hooked up, we just sort of accidently got thrown together and that was that. We are still on our "first date" after 27 years of marriage. :)
(Amy Conley 3:57am May 9, 2011)
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