Every trope,
at your fingertips.
Unlike genre — one, and mandatory — tropes are free, optional tags. Add up to five to any scene, so readers hunting for exactly this can find you. For every trope: its icon, a one-sentence definition, and ten touchstone works. Click any card to explore scenes tagged with it.
Explore the tropesRomance
19 tropesEnemies-to-lovers
Two characters who officially can't stand each other — and notice each other far too much.
Friends-to-lovers
Long-time friends, no initial conflict — love grows out of shared time.
Second chance romance
Former lovers reunite years later and reopen what was left unresolved.
Fake dating
A fake couple staged for an outside reason, which gradually becomes real.
Forced proximity (one bed)
Two characters stuck in the same space — sometimes literally the same bed.
Slow burn
Romantic tension builds very gradually before anything happens.
Love triangle
A character torn between two suitors, with a choice that shapes the whole plot.
Marriage of convenience
A marriage arranged for practical reasons that turns genuine.
Opposites attract
Two opposite temperaments complement each other instead of clashing.
Grumpy × Sunshine
A closed-off character meets a sunny one — the contrast creates the spark.
Forbidden love
The relationship is blocked by a rule, a law, a status — the obstacle is external.
Secret relationship
A couple hides their relationship — the secret itself becomes narrative tension.
Best friend's sibling
The love interest is the best friend's brother or sister.
Single parent romance
One character is raising a child alone — love has to make room for that responsibility.
Workplace romance / boss-employee
A relationship that begins at work, with or without a power imbalance.
Love after loss
A grieving character opens their heart to love again.
Star-crossed lovers
Two characters destined for each other, kept apart by forces bigger than them.
Rival turned ally / love interest
A rival becomes an ally, then a love interest.
Fated mates
Bound by an outside force — magic, prophecy, fate — before they even meet.
Adventure / Fantasy / Worldbuilding
13 tropesThe chosen one
An ordinary character discovers an extraordinary destiny.
The hero's journey
The classic structure: call to adventure, trials, transformation, return.
Found family
A group with no blood ties that becomes a real family.
Mentor's sacrifice
The mentor sacrifices themselves so the hero can move forward.
The prophecy that comes true
An ancient prediction comes true, often in an unexpected way.
Magic school / learning powers
A character learns to master their powers in a structured school setting.
The initiatory quest
A journey that transforms the character as much as it fulfills the goal.
An ancient evil awakens
A threat long dormant resurfaces.
The hidden heir / lost royalty
A character doesn't know they descend from a royal or powerful line.
Power has a price
Every use of magical power costs the character something.
The dying kingdom / empire in decline
A kingdom or empire slowly collapses in the background of the plot.
Rebellion against an order
A character rises up against an established power.
Unlikely alliance between enemies
Two enemies temporarily join forces against a common threat.
Mystery / Thriller / Crime
9 tropesUnreliable narrator
The narrator lies, is mistaken, or hides part of the truth.
Locked-room murder
A murder committed in a locked space, seemingly impossible to have carried out.
Red herring
A misleading clue that deliberately throws the reader off track.
Classic whodunit
The engine of the story is finding out who did it.
Race against the clock
A hard deadline drives the urgency of the investigation.
Wrongly accused
A character is wrongly accused and must prove their innocence.
The investigator who becomes a suspect
The investigator ends up under suspicion themselves.
A conspiracy that goes higher
The investigation reveals involvement at an unsuspected level of power.
The witness who knows too much
A witness holds information that's dangerous to other characters.
Science Fiction
8 tropesThe AI that turns on its creators
An artificial intelligence turns against the people who created it.
Time loop
A character relives the same stretch of time over and over.
Parallel universe / alternate reality
An alternate reality coexists with, or replaces, the character's own.
First contact
Humanity's first encounter with an extraterrestrial life form.
Dystopian rebellion
A character rises up against a futuristic system of control.
Colonizing a hostile world
Humanity settles on a world that resists its presence.
Falsified memories / manipulated identity
A character's memories or identity have been artificially altered.
The last human / the last city
A character or a place stands for what's left after a global catastrophe.
Horror / Supernatural
7 tropesHaunted house
A place inhabited by a malevolent supernatural presence.
Final girl
The last survivor of a decimated group, facing the threat alone.
Cosmic horror
An entity or truth so vast it exceeds human comprehension.
Body horror
Bodily transformation or mutilation becomes the source of horror.
A slow descent into madness
A character gradually loses their grip on reality.
The curse that gets passed down
A curse passes down from one generation to the next.
The village hiding a secret
An entire community hides a dark truth from a newcomer.
Structure & Characters
12 tropesRags to riches
A character starts with nothing and rises to wealth or power.
Redemption arc
A once-negative character redeems themselves over the course of the story.
Tragic hero
A character whose flaw or ambition leads to their own downfall.
Unlikely friendship
Two characters nothing should bring together end up close.
Road trip / journey of self-discovery
A physical journey that becomes an inner one.
Swapped twins / doubles
Two identical characters swap identities.
Amnesia and rebuilding identity
A character loses their memory and has to rebuild who they are.
Class divide (two worlds)
Two opposing social worlds collide through the characters.
The return home after years away
A character returns to a place they left, forced to face it.
The letter that reveals the truth too late
A crucial truth is revealed in writing — but too late to act on.
The double agent
A character secretly serves two opposing sides.
The mentor who's lying
The mentor is hiding a truth or intention that comes out later.
Satire & Slice of life
9 tropesCharacter blind to their own ridiculousness
The character doesn't see their own ridiculousness — the reader does.
Dramatic irony
The reader knows something the character doesn't.
Running gag
A joke or pattern keeps coming back, growing richer each time.
Silence that speaks
A character who never speaks becomes the punchline themselves.
False expertise
A character speaks with confidence about something they don't actually know.
Ordinary life turning extraordinary
Everyday life, with nothing spectacular happening, takes on emotional weight.
Central friendship
The story's central bond is a friendship rather than a couple.
Routine + small emotional twist
A recognizable routine is punctuated by a moment that shifts perspective.
Episodic format without high stakes
Each scene reads almost stand-alone — no urgency, just life going on.