14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them)

14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them) 14 Popular Fantasy Tropes - And How to Make Them Feel New Again Fantasy tropes, like any other type of literary trope, are recurring images, themes, or devices that are used to the point of being common conventions amongst its genre.When writing a genre  such as fantasy  (with such well-known concepts), authors often feel the need to straddle a fine line: include too many tropes and readers will get  dà ©j vu; don’t include a single clichà © and you risk losing readers who have come to expect certain themes and touchstones from a fantasy novel.The thing is, conventions commonly crop up in stories because most of them contain some element of universal relatability - and people enjoy the familiar. Even the best fantasy novels make use of tropes.So embrace the balancing act by acquainting yourself with some of the most popular fantasy tropes out there, and by learning how to prevent your characters, plots, and worlds from becoming a complete clichà ©. 14 popular fantasy tropes - and how to make them feel new again. Character tropesAt their heart, all stories are about characters who represent some aspect of human nature - and fantasy is no exception. Many novels in this  genre feature  archetypes, which is not necessarily a bad thing - so long as your characters' development aligns with the narrative arc and doesn't rely on clichà © pitstops.Tropes: we love to hate them and hate to love them. What are some of your favorites, or most eye-roll-inducing fantasy novel conventions? Let us know in the comments below!