10 Fantasy Tropes I Hate | iWriterly

let's talk about the 10 worst fantasy tropes hey book nerds I'm Meg Latour I'm a writer and my debut novel this cyborg tinkerer is coming out this fall I also formerly worked at a literary agency on this episode of iron rider Li let's talk about the 10 fantasy tropes that I hate in other words you know the worst fantasy tropes before we get into today's content hit that subscribe button and ring the bell if you haven't already here on arrival you create videos about how to be a successful modern-day author including traditional and self-publishing if you want to learn what a trope and cliche are check out my previous video of the 10 overdone fantasy tropes that literary agents are tired of seeing I provide a definition for both and they're plus worse I guess sort of creating a series of these trope videos and when I think about these various tropes so if you want to watch more of our trope videos I will leave a link to the playlist in the description below anyways in that first video I go through the Tennant tropes that literary agents editors industry professionals are tired of seeing that's not because these tropes are inherently evil or terrible or you should never write them it's usually because these tropes are executed by writers in a way that isn't unique it's been done tons of times before some of those tropes that I liked while others I was kind of tired of seeing but in this video I'm going to be talking about the 10 tropes that I personally do not like I can't stand them I think they are the worst fantasy tropes quick disclaimer that just because I don't like these tropes doesn't mean that you guys don't have to like these tropes you guys are entitled to your opinions and preferences in addition I reserve the right to change my mind if I write early is still around many many years from now I don't know 10 years and I want to make a new trope video I reserve the right to do so and these tropes might change they might not who knows right now these 10 tropes are the worst without further ado let's jump into the 10 fantasy tropes I hate number one the battle prologue first of all prologues very not my favorite this is also a thing for literary agents and if you want to learn why that is or my agents really dislike prologues check out the video that I did with literary agent Megan Manzano where we run through a bunch of your questions about traditional publishing I'll leave a link to that in the description below personally I'm just not a big fan of prologues 99% of the time the information in those prolix could easily be woven into subsequent chapters and you didn't need to have that prologue plus many prologues are just not written well but I personally like starting off the story with the protagonist or one of the primary characters I don't want to start off with some Rando that we're never gonna see again and watch them get killed in battle but many fantasy stories just so many of them start off with some battle or maybe at the end of some battle when you're seeing the battlefield and all the bodies I understand that usually something pivotal happens that leaves the protagonist to where the story is going to happen and where their adventure begins but most of the time these battle prologues are just plain confusing I don't know who these characters are or why I should care about them so when these characters are fighting for their lives I feel like I'm always just like so why do I care why does it matter plus it's usually characters that we're never gonna see again later on in the book not to mention when we're starting with hacking swords and limbs falling everywhere and blood splurging sporting I keep saying that spurting everywhere I like ah is this how disorienting there's so much like visceral gritty imagery and again first time to the story very confusing very disorienting I don't like battle for shock value I only want to see a battle when I'm invested in the characters when I care about their outcomes and that usually happens later on in the books maybe middle to end of the book number two the damsel in distress I hate when women are used as props to make the male character look like a hero in case you don't know the damsel in distress is a common plot device for fantasy and science fiction really a lot of genres the female character who has little to zero backstory and is probably the love interest for the male protagonist is put into mortal danger by the bad guys a male hero must then go rescue her I hate this because the female character has no motivation has no agency and she just waits around for the male character to swoop in bonus points if she's crying and screaming and freaking out this character is treated more like a prop or an inanimate object than an actual person and ideally if you guys saw our 10 tropes that I love or the 10 best fantasy tropes I talk about how three-dimensional characters are like one of the best parts of fantasy and if you have this prop of a human not fun number three the reluctant hero this is a character chosen by destiny or a series of events and they have to do a task face the bad guy or something to that effect and the kids seem to decide if they want to be the hero or not often they spend copious amount of times debating if they want to go into battle if they want to support the side do they have the capability to face the villain they just waft endlessly and it's irritating as the saying goes either or get off the patch I can ignore a lot of shortcomings brat and indecisive protagonist is not one of them number four is long made up fantasy names half the fantasy books I read especially any one that was published in the 90s I have no idea how to say those names it looks like the author slammed their fist onto the keyboard and picked whatever came out I get that the author wants to make the world feel original and authentic but the character names look like alphabet soup gone wrong so not original it's just confusing I'm looking at you Game of Thrones number five is the fighter who always needs rescuing this is a protagonist often a woman who we are told by the author is a bad fighter or an assassin meanwhile every time we see them in the story go to fight the bad guys their henchmen always gets the upper hand on them then someone must go rescue her and it's usually the male love interest kind of feel like the damsel in distress scenario stop telling me she is a bat and show me that through her actions also enough of having a capable woman get rescued let's have her rescue her own self and the dudes am i right number six flashbacks call me picky but I dislike flashbacks of any kind but in fantasy you'll usually see a lot of flashbacks when the protagonist has some trauma or dark past that they failed to process half the story we all keep jumping backwards maybe you'll be like one chapter two chapter three chapters in the present chapter fours in the past one chapters in the present the next ones in the past and that flip-flopping back and forth it gives me whiplash and I don't like it a couple examples of this are the way of kings and both bring ER by Brandon Sanderson I see Stormlight archive series I love that series I hate the flashbacks in general I also don't like dual timelines and the Night Circus is another example but again this is just a personal preference I just feel like if I'm reading a story I want to read what it's currently happening I want the immediacy I want the stakes I don't want to be looking back where it's just like it's okay view and process that stuff and we see the character development but like let's just keep moving forward I don't want to keep going backwards number seven is farm boy to hero to me this is a specific type of rags to riches and I don't dislike rags to riches I just dislike farm boy to hero basically a farm boy who didn't know anything about himself or his powers or maybe a secret magical world it's called into action often he's a chosen one goes off on an adventure does big things and then comes back usually with some type of wealth tangible physical wealth and if his family is still alive because a lot of times they burned down in a fire on the farm if they're still alive he can then help to financially support his family a lot of times they also are financially struggling at the start of the story I've seen this so many times and I'm sick of it I'm not sure either see a smuggler or pirate - hero story give a shout out in the comments below if you agree and if you guys have tropes that you strongly dislike or if you actually like some these tropes that I'm going through drop that in the comments below be super curious to hear your thoughts number eight is rape scenes going back to the whole violence for the shock factor thing stop it rape is a horrendous crime and it's utterly traumatizing for the victim just stop using rape as a plot device stop including non-consensual sex in romances or any kind of that has a romantic subplot it's not sexy it's offensive and gruesome and I for one hate it number nine is a lack of female characters or leaving the fighting to the dudes if you look at most epic fantasy particularly from the 90s sorry I keep picking on 90's fantasy right now but the cast is usually 90% guys to 10% ladies and usually 100% of the males are fighting or doing big things for the plot as for the women most stick around the sidelines and wait for what's going to happen but you might have one exception like Brienne of Tarth who gets in there and fights with the dudes but that is a rare exception most women just again stick around the sidelines and hope for the best first the world is made up of more than two genders there are people who are non-binary and there are transgender men and women let's feature all the genders in the books and let's feature them all taking part in working towards something that they care about second why do the men get to be the decision-makers and the ones taking action that is bogus let's get more female warriors more queens who don't need a king to rule their kingdom I'm just more men and women working together toward a single goal this is not me picking on you dudes that are watching this video I'm so happy you're here I'm all about equality in case you don't get that it's just like I feel like we've seen so much male dominated fantasy for so many years I want to see some gal power in there if you're a gal watching this let me know in the comments below if you agree number 10 is the fallen hero this is when the protagonist sacrifices themselves to defeat the antagonist usually at the end of the series that protagonist is killed off like good job you've operated your life to save the world or Kingdom or City and what's your reward death death is your reward that is garbage woman first I hate sad endings probably why I read 90% of romance novels these days because I hate sad endings and if you guys don't know this romance books in order to be considered a romance book has to follow a certain formula and part of that formula is the ending the man and the woman or the couple whoever they are they have to end up together I don't know why you guys read and let me know in the comments below for what reason you guys pick up books but I like escapism I like to learn I like to be entertained but I really do like escapism there's so much death and disease and all sorts of things in our world these days that I want to open a book and have a good time so if we watch these protagonists die after so much effort to make the world a better place oh so if we watch these protagonists die after they're trying to protect their loved ones or making the world a better place it feels like a kick to the ovaries I don't have a bonus fantasy trope that I hate an unofficial number 11 which is elves dwarves and other classical fantasy races since you guys stuck around to the end I'm giving you a bonus fantasy trope that I strongly dislike which is a classical races in high fantasy usually among those are elves and dwarves maybe goblins and a couple others I've seen them so many times authors are creative so how can people with this huge imagination but using the same fantasy races over and over make something new up for goodness sake but don't get rid of dragons they're my favorite thank you for tuning into this episode of I read illuzzi 10 worst fantasy tropes if you want to support what I do join me on patreon as a patron you'll be the first to hear about book updates YouTube updates and more we currently have six tiers with a bunch of different perks the link is in the description below hit the like button subscribe and ring the bell so you are notified every time I upload a video if you have questions or requests for future videos please do drop them in the comments below and as I mentioned before if you guys have certain fantasy tropes that you strongly dislike I really want to hear them I feel like I could easily make a part two to this video so let me know in the comments below again those fantasy tropes you cannot stand let's be friends on social media I'm on Twitter and Instagram I also have a monthly newsletter when you subscribe you'll receive free copies of how to format your manuscript for submission which is a Word document template and a checklist you'll also have first access to any information about the publication journey and status of my debut novel the cyborg tinkerer all the links are in the description below that's it for today as always keep writing [Music] [Music]

Channel: iWriterly

Views: 36,098

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Keywords: writing tips, best writing advice, writing advice, fantasy trope, fantasy tropes, worst tropes in fantasy, worst tropes in fantasy genre, fantasy, fantasy novels, fantasy books, 10 worst fantasy tropes, worst fantasy tropes, meg latorre, iwriterly, authortube

Id: ah4UqcGWsgs

Length: 13min 51sec (831 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 15 2020