July 2015: Overused Tropes and Cliches

July 2015

Well, the zombies have taken over. Which means we can talk a bit about...

Overused Tropes and Cliches

Um- Hold on a minute. I use these words, but if I'm writing about them, an exact definition will be helpful.

trope
a : a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech
b : a common or overused theme or device : cliché <the usual horror movie tropes>: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

cliché
1: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace

Thank you, Merriam-Webster.

Ok, now that I am certain that I know what I'm writing about...

We at WriYe know that zombies may be overdone, but we love them anyway. What are your favorite tropes/cliches? 

  I greatly enjoy that one character who interprets all figures of speech literally. They are hilarious in that while their responses are correct, they are no longer talking about the same thing as all of the other characters. The reason a character reasons that way tend not to vary overmuch: They are learning the language that is being spoken, Syntax is used differently than their home culture... they happen to be an alien... I don't particularly care, I just sit back and enjoy the comedy.
  Time travel/ fix-it, especially in fan fiction, um- runaway and or exiled royalty/nobility?

 Which ones are your least favorite?

   That the fathers and or adults in general are stupid, when animals that aren't dogs act just like dogs, when the timeline does not actually work and/or contradicts itself, plot holes (seriously, Ella Enchanted: "I order you to break the curse!" Option A- she breaks it, therefore it's broken. Option B- She can't break it, therefore breaking the curse. But no.)