What genre tropes are you subverting in your story?

[OvidLemma]

Almost everybody here on SH writes some form of genre fiction - for me, it's mostly fantasy/sci-fi and gender-bent fiction that I write. Within each genre, there are dozens of tropes, and these can be helpful for making worldbuilding easier and letting readers know what to expect. But I'm also a big fan of subverting tropes and doing interesting things with them. For instance, in my Visions of Dark & Light story universe (isekai/fantasy), I've written a fantasy story where:
-Humans are the most powerful magic-wielding race (usually, they're middling to weak)
-There are tree people (well, half-tree) who are definitely not in tune with nature (usually, they're super in tune)
-And none of the traditional fantasy races are there (usually, stories are either all human or they've got the Tolkeinesque spread of races)
-Well, there are demons of a sort, but they're summoned into mortal bodies to use as an explored slave class (demons are usually powerful and infernal forces)

What genre tropes have you subverted in your story (maybe tropes people aren't even aware of usually), and do you think it's made for a better story?

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Mine is...

1). Isekai where the MC is powerless, but uses schemes and brains. (usually MC gets a cheat power)
2). Races act differently, some according to their physical make-up, others due to their culture. (usually, different isekai races are still acting like humans)
3). I disposed of Tolkien-esque elves and dwarves. (There are still dwarves and elves, but they are radically-different from the usual)
4). No adventurers, guilds, system/levels, smut. (usually, an isekai has either one of these. I only wanted pure adventure in my story.)
5). MC uses a matchlock gun, bayonet or spear. (the usual is that, isekai MCs always use the sword.)
6). I do not remain on the medieval-level technology. (would change as the arcs progresses)

 

[Saileri]

I hid kinda spoilerish things since my story is kinda lore-heavy. Yeah, I know, it's weird for smut, but hey, I'm a lore nerd.

1) Humans were the weakest race, but due to the interference of the Goddess which meant to equalize the races, became too strong due to their high birth rate
2) Every other race is now being discriminated
3) It looks like MC gets shafted and is much weaker than the other people who were transported with him, but he uses his wits to make the best of what he got
4) There are countless small hints that it might not really be the case
5) MC sometimes stumbles into "cliche" lucky events when he needs them
6) The heroes were summoned to the world as another Goddess's help, to save it from an already occurring calamity
7) The King and the kingdom are actually nice people, instead of being scheming
8) I could go on with lots of other stuff, but I also try to touch heavy topics like discrimination, the image of sex workers, the sanctity of sex, carpe diem, etc.

 

[OvidLemma]

Mine is...

1). Isekai where the MC is powerless, but uses schemes and brains. (usually MC gets a cheat power)
5). MC uses a matchlock gun, bayonet or spear. (the usual is that, isekai MCs always use the sword.)
6). I do not remain on the medieval-level technology. (would change as the arcs progresses)

That sounds fun - I enjoy stories with wily, clever protagonists, but they're hard to write. I assume the starting tech level is at least very late medieval or early Renaissance if they've got matchlock. My own protagonist mostly just flees his foes so far - he came into the world with a pretty cool cheat power that's actually a handicap and serious liability for a long time before it starts paying dividends. Lots of isekai make the MC utterly overpowered and far too quickly, and I hate the convoluted ad hoc plot twists authors often go through to maintain dramatic tension for godlike characters.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

That sounds fun - I enjoy stories with wily, clever protagonists, but they're hard to write. I assume the starting tech level is at least very late medieval or early Renaissance if they've got matchlock. My own protagonist mostly just flees his foes so far - he came into the world with a pretty cool cheat power that's actually a handicap and serious liability for a long time before it starts paying dividends. Lots of isekai make the MC utterly overpowered and far too quickly, and I hate the convoluted ad hoc plot twists authors often go through to maintain dramatic tension for godlike characters.

Hmm...it's more like it was introduced by another race (demons) to humans, accelerated by my MC's use of it in battle (remember the rule that 'the world should progress, and not remain stagnant?'). So I could say that the 'Renaissance' is something the MC influenced into bringing about. But I do agree that clever protags are pretty hard to write, especially when you have to tie the loose ends to make his motivations, and actions, believable.

Plus, my MC didn't start out as a swashbuckling, brave MC. Actually, he's being hated here as a 'beta', but I disregard those comments because I'm slowly and surely making him grow through his interactions with the other characters (and his values are clashing with the world's culture too, which is usually absent in most isekais). And he gets to fight his battle through training himself (or with someone else), rather than powering-up through the power of love (or friendship).

Oh and I forgot to mention, given his background as a former teacher, my protagonist also expresses regret for those whom he killed (which is absent in most isekais MCs as well).

 

[Deleted member 29316]

?

I'd like to create an MC whose main strong point is his ability to influence the people around him, and that, of course, would require him to use words and schemes. It's a gamble (and one SH user even said it's boring), but I liked how he turned out to be.

 

[BenJepheneT]

Not exactly a genre troupe but I'm making a protagonist that tries his very best NOT TO FIGHT, even though he's VERY GOOD at FIGHTING.

The whole story basically goes about he hard he avoids fighting and getting himself increasingly scarred and hurt with each subsequent arc. He doesn't grow any stronger, besides his will to not fight. If anything, the opponents he fights are the one getting stronger each battle. His opponents always win the fight, but lose the battle.

 

[DubstheDuke]

My genre would be dark fantasy/litrpg, as far as subverted tropes, I would say that the most notable thing in my story is the fact that the monsters actually tend to have higher developed societies than the humans do. In my world, even the most advanced human society is a Kingdom in the medieval era, with another society being a Roman/Greek Empire, one being an Arabic Sultinate, and the final society being a Drawven/Elven Allied Republic, which also is in the medieval era of progress.

The monsters on the other hands, while their villages are city states which work independently from each other (For the most part), they are much more highly developed. Some resemble the colonial era. Others have ancient technology which transcends anything which the humans have. And other still are in the steampunk/industrial era. There are even WW2 era militaries.

Furthermore, these monsters are not inherently evil. They act just as humans do- which means that there are good ones and bad ones. Another trope I use in my story is the following: Anyone can be the good guy, and anyone can be the bad guy. It doesn't matter if you're a monster or a human. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor. It doesn't matter if you're privileged or deprived. What matters is how the scenario has molded each individual, and the path they have taken from there. There are examples in my story from all different groups of people being both 'good' and 'bad'- no matter what situation you are born into.

 

[Sii]

Mine isn’t so much a trope subversion but I think it counts?

I’m writing from a collectivist standpoint, where the group that my characters belong to is much more important than the individuals themselves. My characters are important but they’ll never be more important than the group and shared title. I guess I’m taking the “rag tag team” trope and boosting it up to where this team isn’t rag tag or lovable and they might or might not be the “bad” guys to everyone else.

Also, I personally hate the “Hero” trope and strictly black and white morality. There are no heroes in my story, just gray and lighter gray folks who do things for whatever reasons they might have decided on. Good, bad, neutral is really boring to me so I’m tryna play in the gray.

 

[OvidLemma]

Also, I personally hate the “Hero” trope and strictly black and white morality. There are no heroes in my story, just gray and lighter gray folks who do things for whatever reasons they might have decided on. Good, bad, neutral is really boring to me so I’m tryna play in the gray.

I'm on the same page. I think my purest "good" character is Anise, a very kind and well-meaning (and sheltered) young woman who, when her well-intentioned acts are rebuffed or don't work out, says deliberately hurtful things to the people she cares about. And who, when her wicked uncle was down and withing in pain, ran up and kicked him in the teeth out of spite. Valiant heroes are a classic trope, but flawed heroes with a few moral failings are a lot more interesting.

 

[Deleted member 29081]

My story is a simple tale of good and evil. No genre subverting whatsoever. No siree.

 

[Alienix]

Trope heh.
1. Redemption
2. Necromancer
3. Monster evolutions
4. Etc, etc, etc.

 

[AliceShiki]

So uhn... I'm not sure if it's actually a subversion, but I seem to be doing something that most people don't do.

I'm making a Mob Protagonist story in which the story is... Actually a mob. And she'll remain a mob from the beginning until the end of the story.

Like, I dunno, whenever I see something with Mob Protagonist, the Protagonist somehow steals the spotlight even though they should be a mob, which is... Kinda against the point of making a Mob Protagonist, isn't it?

... That said, the story isn't on Scribbly yet, I'm gonna write a few more chapters before I put it out.

 

[AkalE]

but... weak to strong MC, smart MC, blessed with (seemingly) weak power that the MC changes to his advantage are basic genre tropes.


Also,

So uhn... I'm not sure if it's actually a subversion, but I seem to be doing something that most people don't do.

I'm making a Mob Protagonist story in which the story is... Actually a mob. And she'll remain a mob from the beginning until the end of the story.

Like, I dunno, whenever I see something with Mob Protagonist, the Protagonist somehow steals the spotlight even though they should be a mob, which is... Kinda against the point of making a Mob Protagonist, isn't it?

... That said, the story isn't on Scribbly yet, I'm gonna write a few more chapters before I put it out.

when can I read this?

 

[HokuouTenrou]

What genre tropes have you subverted in your story (maybe tropes people aren't even aware of usually), and do you think it's made for a better story?

barely any, I can only think:
1. not making the protag Japanese or having Japanese stylings (having a Japanese-ish name/katana in an otherwise European(-ish) setting). with that...
2. so no "Wow! Japanese food are ultra delicious!" or "Wow! Japanese culture is so interesting!" (felt like seen them some times in eroge lol)
3. the protag uses axes instead of sword; it's usually the weapon of choice of Big Guys or The Brute (I know he's Nordic, but one can still give some excuses for swords, e.g. swords are the weapon of the Jarl/nobility etc.)
4. ...annnd MAYBE that he's not indecisive/dense (he knows who he wants) without going to the other extreme (as in harassing/groping women left and right because "le epic alpha chad ecksdee")

but, idk

 

[GDLiZy]

I might have followed some and subverted some but I don't know. When I write I just try to be original and never really try to play any tropes.

 

[ForestDweller]

Well, for starters, it's a harem story, that doesn't have a harem 330k words in. I'm not just going to give my MC that blissful harem life that easily.

And speaking of easy life, oh, he might be overpowered compared to the average folks, but that doesn't mean he gets to have an easy life, to the point that some of my readers beg to stop giving him tragedies.

Also, no god/goddess that makes him reincarnate or give him cheats. He just gets reincarnated without any apparent reason. Well, I know the reason but the readers don't.

my protagonist also expresses regret for those whom he killed (which is absent in most isekais MCs as well).

My protag has a breakdown the first type he had to kill someone (especially since he did it in quite the gory way). His parents had to teach him that it's alright to take a life if it's for a good cause. He also learns how death is more accepted in the world as well, thus slowly shifting his values away from the values of modern Earth.

1. not making the protag Japanese or having Japanese stylings (having a Japanese-ish name/katana in an otherwise European(-ish) setting). with that...
2. so no "Wow! Japanese food are ultra delicious!" or "Wow! Japanese culture is so interesting!" (felt like seen them some times in eroge lol)

My MC pretty much has abandoned his Japanese heritage entirely. In fact, I dare say after eating European-like food for so long, he no longer has any fondness for Japanese-style food.

but... weak to strong MC, smart MC, blessed with (seemingly) weak power that the MC changes to his advantage are basic genre tropes.

Yep.

Furthermore, these monsters are not inherently evil. They act just as humans do- which means that there are good ones and bad ones.

That's the isekai cliche though.

I think I'm going to take some inspirations from Sousou no Frien for my demons. At least for some of them. Making them having a different morality value that is incompatible with humans.

Oh! There's no gratuitous slave trade. :)

You know how you have beastgirl waifus sold as slaves in many isekai? Well, I have a good explanation on why they're so obedient to the MC.

Because they're conditioned to be that way, thanks to them being susceptible to be domesticated. Just like a cat or a dog. And they have slave farms to do that, where they kidnap/buy baby beastmen and raise them to be the perfect obedient slaves there.

the image of sex workers, the sanctity of sex

That reminds me of the one brothel-owning succubus saying how brothels are not just for sex, but also for emotional relief and comfort.

MC's big sister doesn't buy that though. She doesn't like brothels in principle, thinking all men who use them are perverts.

Actually, he's being hated here as a 'beta', but I disregard those comments because I'm slowly and surely making him grow through his interactions with the other characters (and his values are clashing with the world's culture too, which is usually absent in most isekais). And he gets to fight his battle through training himself (or with someone else), rather than powering-up through the power of love (or friendship).

Same. Though those comments are mostly given out on Webnovel and not here.

My story is already moving out from that phase though. It's time for my MC to really stand his ground for what he believes in, in an upcoming conflict.

 

[AliceShiki]

but... weak to strong MC, smart MC, blessed with (seemingly) weak power that the MC changes to his advantage are basic genre tropes.


Also,

when can I read this?

Well, my goal was to start releasing it in February 2020, but... Suffice to say I'm not that good at scheduling myself... >.>

I currently have 12 chapters written, I plan to write 3 more and then do some heavy revisions in the early chapters afterwards, so... Possibly October if I do things properly and stop procrastinating for one! >.<

 

[Deleted member 36114]

1. The matriarchy ends up making women more miserable than the good ol' times (normally, a matriarchy either ends up being the same as usual or inherently benefiting women).
2. Strong harem MC surrounded by strong women (usually it's either a weakling surrounded by amazons or a strong and overpowered guy surrounded by bimbos who are well beneath him. Never are they on the same league). The guy still has an special and unique advantage, but he's not in a different league than his female peers.
3. Said harem MC actually being willing to hurt girls (they either never do or it's toned down. Here, it kind of is the point since it's a fighting centric story).
4. Fanservice AND gore (usually, gore and fanservice, especially when it involves girls, is never shown as a single theme. The only story to do so was Freezing and even they backed off the gore part).

Needless to say, the story I'm working on is very, very primal.

 

[Saileri]

That sounds fun - I enjoy stories with wily, clever protagonists, but they're hard to write. I assume the starting tech level is at least very late medieval or early Renaissance if they've got matchlock. My own protagonist mostly just flees his foes so far - he came into the world with a pretty cool cheat power that's actually a handicap and serious liability for a long time before it starts paying dividends. Lots of isekai make the MC utterly overpowered and far too quickly, and I hate the convoluted ad hoc plot twists authors often go through to maintain dramatic tension for godlike characters.

I also like smart and clever protags and that's why I'm trying to develop one in my story. I wonder how it will go. I've gone with a similar situation where it looks kinda bad for him at the beginning, but he's not easily broken and tries his best to walk upstream. Hopefully, I'll be able to properly show my intentions.