Krystallized Writing

Fiction vs Non Fiction

Fiction: Literature that is not based on real-life events but is completely made from the writers imagination.

Non-Fiction: fictional stories based on real people, events or information.

Common Tropes

Each type of literature has at least one common tropes associated with it. Common tropes are recurring plot devices or character archetypes that appear frequently. Sometimes common tropes can be a positive thing to lean into when writing as they are popular for a reason. Readers may identify with them in a way that keeps them engaged. However, many times they can be negative as it's been done so many times before. As a writer it may also prove to be a challange to make your story stand out against others.

If you decide to work around as many common tropes as possible or lean into them, it's good to realize that many times a story will use many different tropes together. This could be an approach as well, to mix some of them that normally aren't.

The following are some of the mostly known.

Archetypes VS Common Tropes

You may be thinking now, what is the difference between a trope/stereotype and an actual character archetype. After all, what is a story with a hero character without their journey? However an archetype is much broader of a term while the trope is a common set of charateristics that are often put together. The idea of a popular teenage girl who isn't very smart or is very mean, the brooding male love interest, the nagging spouse, the all powerful wizard, these are more tropes or sterotypes used often in writings.

Archetypes however show the reader small parts of themselves that they can relate with. These are more closer to what being human really is. For archetypes, you could even refer to the Myers Briggs Types for ideas/inspiration. Here is a small list of some of the more classic charater archetypes.