To Trope or Not to Trope To Trope Or Not To Trope

It’s Taurus season, and we just keep coming back with more episodes. You’ll never stop us! This month’s episode is all about tenacious and stubborn characters, and the lengths they’ll go to get what they want. With everything you need to know for writing a tenacious character, this episode will teach you how to break a character, how to plot around a stubborn reluctant hero, and how sometimes it really is okay for a character to get what they want.

Disclaimer: We are in no way making a comment on actual Tauruses, nor are we talking about canonically Taurus characters—we’re simply using Taurus traits as a frame to talk about writing fictional characters.

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!

Opposites attract… or do they? Whether your grumpy and sunshine characters are falling in love or falling for each other’s nefarious schemes, this episode is for you. Join us as we discuss such pressing questions as “can sunshine characters be introverted… or evil?” and “how sunshine is sunshine enough for this trope?” The answers will probably surprise you. If you’ve ever written grumpy and sunshine or plan to write an opposites attract romance, give this episode a listen.

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!

It’s Pisces season! Go ahead, get emotional. We’ve got a great episode for you all about sensitive and emotional characters, from your moody broody sad boys to your magical girls to every shade of unhealthy emotionality in between. With tips and tricks for how to keep these characters consistent and how to keep them from getting too annoying, you’ll never have to be sensitive about your emotional characters again!

Disclaimer: We are in no way making a comment on actual Pisces, nor are we talking about canonically Pisces characters—we’re simply using Pisces traits as a frame to talk about writing fictional characters.

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!

Love is in the air! How long after Cupid’s arrow strikes should a couple wait to get together? If we’re talking fiction, probably longer than you think. Join us this episode as we discuss all things instalove and argue over the proper pacing for writing a believable relationship, including what shortcuts writers can take to get there…and which they definitely shouldn’t. If you’re looking to write characters falling in love, this is the episode for you. XOXO

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!

It’s Capricorn season, so dust off those perennial New Years writing resolutions and channel that ambitious Capricorn energy into a new story. But first, check out this episode featuring everything you need to know about ambitious characters—those morally gray go-getters and hardworking heroes who drive plot and give stakes to a story. Covering such topics as character agency, what to do once a character has achieved their goal, and the difference between being ambitious and having ambition, this episode will take your writing to the next level. Or, at the very least, it’ll tell you what a goat fish actually is.

Disclaimer: We are in no way making a comment on actual Capricorns, nor are we talking about canonically Capricorn characters—we’re simply using Capricorn traits as a frame to talk about writing fictional characters.

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!

’Tis the season…for cash grabs and phoning in episodes of your favorite sitcoms. Join us as we talk about all things Christmas Specials, from the good to the bad to the Star Wars Holiday Special and every elf and Scrooge in between. If you’ve ever wondered which iconic holiday tropes you should never write or which of the three of us is a Grinch at heart (the answers might surprise you), this is the episode for you. Merry Christmas!

Have a trope you want us to talk about or a question about the episode? Email us at totropeornottotrope@gmail.com!