65 Writing Tropes to Inspire Your Next Story

Whether you’re writing a novel, fanfiction, screenplay or short story, sometimes all you need is a good trope to spark an idea.

Here are 50 popular writing tropes that readers continue to love.

Romance Tropes

• Enemies To Lovers
• Friends To Lovers
• Fake Dating
• Arranged Marriage
• One Bed
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Opposites Attract
• Forbidden Love
• Soulmates
• Second Chance Romance
• Childhood Friends Reunited
• Secret Relationship
• Love Triangle
• Rivals To Lovers
• Marriage Of Convenience

Character Tropes

• The Chosen One
• The Reluctant Hero
• Morally Grey Protagonist
• The Anti-Hero
• The Misunderstood Villain
• The Golden Child
• The Black Sheep
• The Genius With No Social Skills
• The Character Everyone Underestimates
• The Tough Character With A Soft Heart

Family & Friendship Tropes

• Found Family
• Protective Sibling
• Adoptive Parent Figure
• Ride-Or-Die Best Friends
• Team Becomes Family
• Estranged Family Reunion
• Parent And Child Role Reversal
• Sibling Rivalry
• The Mentor Relationship
• The Unlikely Friendship

Mystery & Thriller Tropes

• Locked Room Mystery
• Everyone Is A Suspect
• Unreliable Narrator
• Hidden Identity
• Secret Twin
• Missing Person Case
• Small Town With Dark Secrets
• The Final Clue Changes Everything
• The Killer Was There All Along
• The Protagonist Has Forgotten Something Important

Fantasy & Supernatural Tropes

• Prophecy
• Magical School
• Hidden Powers
• Ancient Evil Awakening
• Chosen By Destiny
• Monster Hunter
• Human Falls Into Another World
• Gods Walking Among Humans
• Cursed Object
• Secret Magical Society

Tropes That Somehow Work Every Time

• “Who did this to you?”
• There Was Only One Bed
• Touch Them And Die
• The Villain Is Obsessed With The Protagonist
• Forced Proximity
• Secret Identity Reveal
• The Redemption Arc
• The Fake Villain
• The Mentor’s Sacrifice
• The Final Plot Twist