After seeing my friend Cierra’s post on this topic last year, I knew I eventually had to make one too.

Tropes are conventions used frequently in storytelling of any kind. Some classify them as clichés, which is what I always assumed they were. Because of that, the word has held a negative connotation for me.

Only more recently have I begun to realize tropes can be both guilty pleasure clichés and amazing plot devices that make the story better.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorites.

Love Triangles

Yeah, yeah, I know. This one is pretty iconic, and most people are sick of them I’m sure. I hate to break it to you, but what would YA be without them? They are featured in a lot of my writing, probably because most of my favorite series have them.

Love triangles get made fun of a ton, but they definitely build community and engagement in a fandom and I am always here for that. #TeamJacob #TeamPeeta

Drunken Confessions

I read and write YA, which means the main characters are very much underage. But when it comes to my books, I’ve included drunken scenes in both. (Oops.)

There’s just something about the vulnerability it creates, the hilarious moments that can ensue, and, of course, the truths that inevitably come out.

Trapped in a Store Overnight

Okay, this one is probably just me. As a kid, I fantasized about staying overnight in a mall. It probably stemmed from some TV show or a dream I had. I loved it so much that in an early draft of In the Sky, I specifically included a scene where this happens. Now that I think about it, the trope is still a large part of my book as the main characters live in a Target for a while…

Ps. There’s a YA series called No Safety in Numbers where a bunch of people get quarantined inside a mall, but I’m still waiting for the perfect adaptation of this trope. 😉

Pool or Water Scenes

There’s something about romantic shit happening in water.

When I was working on adding scenes to In the Sky, I wrote one where the two main characters break into the local pool. (And got drunk, but that’s part of #2.)

My second book—the one I’m getting ready for querying now—is literally set on a private island. Enough said.

I find myself writing these types of scenes in almost every story… whether I know I’m doing it or not. Do you do this with your favorite tropes? Let me know. ❤

Check out the podcast episode we did on story tropes here!