The first monday of every month is Inspirational Monday and today I'm going to share TvTropes. It's a wiki that catalogues and analyzes conventions in storytelling. Despite that description it's "boatloads" more informal than Wikipedia. I have something of a love/hate relationship with it. On the love side it provides lots of information in a engaging way and can help a writer build ideas. On the hate side, it sucks up my free time and I feel compelled to revise it because it is a wiki and I can.
TvTropes has an infinity of tropes (even after years of going there I haven't seen them all) and new ones are still being crafted. Along with those tropes are an infinity of works across all mediums. It will dispel any illusion you have to originality. This is why I believe it is a site that every writer should visit at least once; never again will you believe you are original. This is something every writer must learn. You are not original; you are standing on the shoulders of giants. (which, by the way, is not an original phrase but I like it so I used it.) With the limited time one has to write and watch, etc, one may think that 'Oh this idea must be original because I've never seen it before!' Then you go to Tvtropes and see a 200+ works (depending on the trope) that have that same idea. It may not be exactly the same idea but it will be so close that you can't claim to be original. This is a liberating feeling because you don't have to worry about being original and can instead have fun playing with the tropes and inserting shout outs.
TvTropes is a community of storytelling. It has authors and readers gushing and complaining about works and tropes. This is fun to read but also practical; one can see what readers like and dislike. It's also a great place to proof read without having to write something first. Not that there's major spelling or grammar errors but more about being concise. There is a problem on TvTropes about exaggeration and word cruft etc and therefore practice for being concise in one's own work.
TvTropes is a gateway drug. It will point you towards new shows/books/games etc that you might not know of otherwise. I've found more than a few great series this way that are now on my shelf. A well developed works page is a sign of a large fan base, or at least, one dedicated fan. I may be that one for I am a Book Reviewing Troper.
I stumbled on TV Tropes one day and I had to turn and run away. I felt myself getting sucked in and worried that I wouldn't be able to come back out.
ReplyDeleteI visit occasionally. You are right, though. It is like a drug.
I had a similar introduction. By the time I realized I was getting sucked in it was too late.
DeleteTV Tropes is a drug. I can be on there for hours and have no idea what I was doing the whole time.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest hurdle I have to overcome is that nothing I write will ever be original, and that it's ok to be cliche (sometimes) and derivitive(sometimes).
"Tropes Are Tools" is the motto one must keep in mind. Also, time limits. Time Limits are your only defense against Tvtropes assimilation.
DeleteI find it a good source of ideas for discussion with my writing group but am uncomfortable with its closed world of new jargon, at the same time as being fascinated..
ReplyDelete'closed world of new jargon', yes we get that a lot. We call it "Tv Tropes Will Ruin Your Vocabulary". I'm glad to hear that your writing group finds it helpful.
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