Do you have common themes, tropes, or characteristics across all (or most of) your stories? What are they? Why do you think you do this?
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Sep '19last reply
Sep '19- 41
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I'd say common themes in most of my stories would be fate and society's expectations, the latter with a big drift in the direction of the question of what it means to be perfect (poster children?).
As for why ... To be honest, I'm not too sure myself. It's probably something I've asked myself? So my stories would kind of help me to explore the questions I myself find interesting or want to find answers for?
- Grumpy men : 'cause I think they're hot.
- Forming human connections (particularly with things that aren't human) : because I'm a recluse and still need to feeeel. And it's probably a subconscious way to work in a message about how we're all the same regardless of appearances/backgrounds/etc.
- Hope : because this world's shitty and I want to leave something pleasant for readers and myself to grasp onto.
knowing about the world outside the superficiality of popular media.and what you were taught as a kid. also befriending someone who's from a different background than you are.
this is kinda personal because i was a sheltered only child (for 9 years at least but i barely met my brother until i was like 16) who grew up in a prejudiced family and neighbourhood... so i kind of wanted to explore that naivety i had when i was younger and things i believed in that i didn't know were harmful.
Getting over your own prejudices and learning to accept the people you consider to be "unnatural". I dunno, I think we kind of just need more of that in the world.
Coming of age stories that have a focus on character(s) trying to find their place in a society that said character(s) doesn't understand or feels like an outcast being surrounded by problems that are out of their control. I guess those themes resonate with me a lot because I still feel directionless in my life xD
And also at least one character in the main cast will probably be implied to be depressed because they're cathartic to write and have them heal through the help of people around them.
- Homosexual relationships.
- Problems with sex.
- Misfits.
I'm in the gray spectrum, genderfluid and, overall, aspergers.
How wasn't I going to write the stories of gay misfits with problems to have sex?
Like, really, I was the only one who didn't get what those topics meant until this year 
Mine are BLs with dark themes. The characters are always struggling with something, but I also try to keep them sort of relatable. I also always try to balance the dark themes with humor. Also, I love drama so my stories are full of it.
Exile, not always literal, though.
Non-belonging.
Real or perceived rejection by society.
Mediterranian settings (wherever, North, South, East, West, Mediterranean-inspired fantasy settings...).
Lgbt themes, almost exclusively in the background.
Very often but not always, coming of age stories, or when not that, 'new turn in life' stories. With lots of questioning past beliefs.
Some kind of nature theme. Often related to plants, often with an evolutionary adaptation focus.
Tolerance and acceptance...psychologically, at least. I want to promote the idea that you don't have to think the same way as another person in order to appreciate them.
Not only that, but a friendship between people who are 'opposites' doesn't have to hinge on them picking at each other and constantly trying to make the other more similar to themselves. The social butterfly doesn't have to drag the bookworm to parties against her will, and the bookworm doesn't have to condescend to the butterfly and treat her as an intellectual inferior. That stuff is fine for comic relief...in the same way that slapstick is. I don't think it's supposed to reflect reality.
So the one common thread in most of my stories is forging accepting friendships between people who are so wildly different in so many ways, and just letting them be. Just letting them like people who aren't them, and being okay with it.
Stories about people who meet someone who changes their way of life are all well and good, but I prefer stories about people who meet someone who helps them to realize that they're just fine the way they are. I'd like to see more of those.
Aggressive melee-fighting women who contrast with a calmer, range-shooting or fighting men.
Interracial relationships.
Questioning of what it means to be 'good'. People doing questionable things in order to get what they ultimately want.
Superpowers, and/or demons. Anti-heroes, sympathetic villains. These are some common tropes.
RIGHT?!
I love the aggressive, beastly women with calmer or even more feminine men! I don't know why but the subversiveness of it is just really cool to me. I'm so happy to see that more often in media (also, Amara from Borderlands 3? I love her. Like she is my fave).
The four elements: water, fire, air and earth, or variations of that.
A character that is a swordsman or uses swords.
Buff dark skinned guys. huh.
The power of friendship.
Smaller casts of characters. I've always wanted to do a bigger cast, but I'm having trouble picking a concept to go with.
I often show complex characters that overcome some difficulties. And always with some kind of happy end. And I always use stories of love, family and friendship.
I also seem to like a certain type of couples called "opposites attract". And the most favourite seems to be "cheerful and kind person plus cold and aggressive one"
And for some reasons I always have some white feline as one of the important characters. I don't know why, might be my fetish XD
Like really, I never did that on purpose, but here are 4 my stories (3 are old and dead) and all 4 have white felines. They are absolutely different in their personalities, but look really alike
There're also some racing or car related themes in my stories. It just happens, I didn't actually do that on purpose. But I definitely love cars X)
Oh boy, time to expose myself.
- Anxious and/or reckless female lead/main character
- Prejudice and bullying, especially one created when people can't find something "visible" to shun the target for.
- Amazing powers, hopeless in a social situation.
- Magic
- Convenient long periods of unconsciousness where the person doesn't get brain damage or dies of thirst.
- Characters that lose control of their abilities or are mind controlled into it, oh no Bob I know you're in there somewhere!
- Characters who try to hide their emotions but they could actually desperately use a hug (if they'll let you)
- Surprise! It's sad
- Characters who don't seem to get along, but when times get tough, you'd better bet they're there for each other
- Villains who are actually not all that villainous deep down
- Super exuberant characters paired with extremely quiet ones
