Tag: Tropes

The Problem with Arranged Marriages in YA Fiction

The Problem with Arranged Marriages in YA Fiction

This post is part of a collaboration with several bloggers to discuss romance tropes and the philosophy behind them. Stay to the end to check out the other participating authors’ posts!

I have a problem with the arranged marriage trope in YA and NA fiction, and it’s not the issue you might think. I have no objection to portraying arranged marriages in fiction, even to portraying them to a (reasonably) young audience. In fact, my problem with arranged marriage in YA fiction is that it is almost always portrayed in a negative light.

Before you get too worked up, allow me to say that I don’t think arranged marriage is necessarily the ideal these days, and it can be problematic. I don’t believe Continue reading “The Problem with Arranged Marriages in YA Fiction”

More than a Trope: Examples of Subverted Tropes from a Christian Perspective

More than a Trope: Examples of Subverted Tropes from a Christian Perspective

Tropes can be a powerful storytelling tool, but so often they’re overused and misused. Today I want to look at some trope examples that irk me personally (and/or that I’ve heard friends complain about) and provide some suggestions for how they could be subverted and given more thematic impact, especially according to a judeo-Christian worldview.

Strong Female Character

We all know this one. The girl who’s as strong as any guy, hides her emotions, and just generally could be swapped out for a guy except we need to empower women. By… telling them Continue reading “More than a Trope: Examples of Subverted Tropes from a Christian Perspective”