My eighteen-year-old son gives me so many great ideas and links! The latest one is TV Tropes, a wiki that should be in every writer’s bookmarks.
From the site:
“This wiki is a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction. We dip into the cauldron of story, whistle up a hearty spoonful and splosh it in front of you to devour to your heart’s content.”
Looking for a plot idea? You can ponder the Seven Basic Conflicts, explore Time Travel Tropes, or learn about Romance Arcs. Curious about the narrative tropes in your favorite series? Do a search for, say, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and you will find over 1000 references, including what is means to be Jossed and examples of Buffy Speak. How about A Grand List of Overused Science Fiction Clichés? Or a list of Anime Character Types?
Warning: The author is not responsible for any addiction to TV Tropes the occurs as result of this post.
Interesting! What will Wiki think of next! I tried ‘Pirates’ and got back so very strange titles and links. I’ll have to put this in my bookmarks. Thanks, Lisa! And your son as well! 🙂
Cool stuff – it definitely boils things down into smaller bits that can be helpful, especially for writers who feel like they’re new to the game, or, to writers who just need a kick in the pants. Or both.