 When I am doing my first draft, I just want to get the story down. I don’t think too much about themes or tropes (I’ll explain that later)…I just listen to the people in my head and put them in situations that will reveal their character and conflict. I usually get stuck about halfway through, though, and when I do, it’s a good time for me to reflect on “What is this story about?” That’s where themes and tropes come in. This week on the Blog Hop, A.S. Fenichel says: Lately I’ve been thinking about the story themes that turn me on and inspire me. List your top ten favorite story or plot themes. It can be anything from Dragons to friends to lovers. Themes are an underlying thread that ties the whole story together. Finding home or good vs. evil or revenge. A trope is the structure the story hangs on. In romance, tropes might be marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, or enemies to lovers. As a writer, my two favourite tropes are friends to lovers and second chance. I’m not a big fan of insta-lust or insta-love (though if handled well can be great) and prefer a slowly growing realization between my characters. Both of these tropes work really well for that. In my upcoming book, I use both, as my hero and heroine were married very young, broke up, and then thirty years later become friends and work toward a happy ever after. I read a lot of Regency romance, and in those I love a marriage of convenience trope. It suits the time period, when women were expected to marry and couldn’t always wait to find their soulmate. These often end up being friends to lovers, too, because a sound marriage usually starts with affection. Other tropes I like to read include forced proximity (can be location or activity, such as career), fake relationship (as long as the two main characters are in it together and aren’t faking out the other), and opposites attract (I think you get this one). What about you? When you think about your reading, are you drawn to specific type of story? Leave a comment below, then hop over to Leslie Hachtel.  In case you missed it last week, Leslie has a new book available for preorder from Amazon!
Two women. Years apart. Linked by common experience and a cottage that has survived since the Civil War. Evelyn Smith has changed her name and is running from an abusive husband. She buys a cottage in Florida that has its own history, only to experience an attraction to the previous owner. Rebecca Faber has rescued a Yankee soldier and fallen in love, but circumstances have forced her to marry an evil man who killed her father. When Rebecca reaches out from the past, Evelyn finds it life changing. And in their own times, each must find discover strength and fight to find and keep true love.
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