Welcome to the Australasian Christian Writers Tuesday Book Chat, where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
What plot line or trope would you be happy to never read again?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
When I first read this question, I thought hmm… I’m not reading enough books at the moment to become bored with a particular plot or trope.
A trope can be defined as a common plot line within a specific fiction genre or sub-genre. For example, marriage of convenience or reunion romance in the romance genre. Or, a police procedural or hard boiled detective in the mystery genre.
What do you think?
And don’t forget: if you’d like to participate in our weekly Book Chat by posting the question and your answer on your blog, drop us an email via our Contact page and we’ll send you the list of questions for 2019.
For me it has to be secret baby or small child stories. They were every few books I read a few years back and it felt overs done. Yes some stories were good but I just got tied of the same plot
Hi Jenny, I don’t mind secret baby plots in general market romances, but I’m not fussed on them in the Christian romance genre. The lying aspect of keeping the pregnancy a secret is hard to pull off in a way that’s plausible and makes sense. The potential issue of abortion complicates this plot from a Christian perspective. Marriage of convenience is not my favourite in the contemporary romance genres, although enjoy reading this plot in historical romances.
I think we all need to switch up our reading now and again to re-fire our brains. No one should let themselves get caught in a cycle of one-style-only books… but having said that, I love well-done secret baby stories where there’s a reason for keeping things quiet even if that isn’t a GREAT reason… because people make bad decisions all the time. And then they grow up and regret it. Most of us are guilty of that in some way…
So a well-done secret baby is fine with me, but I do avoid whiny heroines. I avoid whiny people in real life and I do the same in books. If she can’t save herself and help the hero save himself, I’m too much of a Yankee to keep reading.
But that’s a personal thing because lots of people LOVE those heroines. I think we identify with our own style and type and that works for us….
And I do love a good, fun mystery!!!!
Hi Ruth, Yes, there needs to be a compelling reason for the secret baby plot to work. Done well, they’re definitely a fun trope to read. Whiny heroines aren’t fun, especially when they never pull up their big girls pants and take responsibility for stuff. I don’t mind so much if they start out as whiny as long as there’s character growth in the story. Mysteries that keep me guessing are the best! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Ruthy there are some I really did like. I think part of the reason I started disliking them is that I was reading so many of them.
Whiny heroines and negative heroines/heros are pet peeves.
I also struggle with the helpless heroine who is like a doormat. I don’t mean abuse victims its more the ones who couldn’t change a light globe.
I know in historical times often abused heroines become weak but always remember one of Mary Connealy’s books where the abuse victim had remarried then when was in labor got really vocal and was able to finally vent her anger. I really loved the scene.
An “insurmountable” problem that a couple has to deal with in order for a relationship to be possible between them. Oh, and man-bashing. By that I mean making the men in every book (I’m thinking about a particular author here) look like they are stupid.
Hi Beth, I’m not a fan of man-bashing books, either. In a romance I want the hero to be heroic, not dim or too-stupid-to-live. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂