Storyletter Prompt: Flip a Common Trope

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This event was first introduced in the November newsletter but it was buried, so I’m resending as a separate post. I thought it’d be fun to start hosting prompts every few months. I’m not expecting a huge amount of participation as we’re all working on our own projects, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to provide the option for those that are eager and willing. Let me know what you think about this idea in the comments. Feedback and constructive criticism is most welcome.

Here’s an overview of this event, which will run through February:

Write a short fiction piece involving a common trope that almost everyone associates with its respective genre, but purposefully flip the trope on its head.

What is a trope? A trope¹ is a commonly used literary device. It can be a cliché and it can be used well.

Examples of tropes in genres:

1. In fantasy, there is the Chosen One whose job it is to defeat the Dark Lord and restore the natural order of the world. Often a sword is involved.

2. In science fiction, there is Cryosleep (especially if you don’t have light-speed in your universe). ‘Travelling to distant stars is very difficult and requires Cryosleep to get there.’

3. In romance, we have the fake relationship where two characters pretend to be in a relationship for some reason. This forced proximity usually ends with the two getting to know each other and falling in love.

Feel free to come up with your own idea, or use one of the examples above. Publish the story on your own Substack and link the post in the comments below so I’ll be able to read and share it via cross-posts. You can also tag me in your post with the @ mention feature for your convenience.

If you’re a paying subscriber, you can submit the story via the submission form found in your Welcome email for potential paid publication! Storyletter XPress Publishing LLC pays 1 cent per word for accepted stories, and will include said stories in our annual anthology (release date TBD). Word count limitations only apply to stories purchased by The Storyletter, which are currently capped at 6,000 words.

You’ll have until the end of February to post your story. The best story might get more than free promotion. Have fun! :)

1. Thanks goes to Writers Write for providing information on fiction tropes!