Just ignore that this is two days late, okay? Okay 
Have you ever noticed that certain characters or themes or plots reappear over and over again?
For example, the basic plot of Harry Potter and Star Wars: A New Hope are kind of similar. An orphan boy discovers he is actually very special, and he leaves the family that’s been taking care of him to pursue a greater destiny.
Or what about the Cinderella plot, where an orphan is taken in by cruel family members or citizens? This has happened to Jane Eyre, the Baudelaire children (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Harry Potter, Sarah in A Little Princess, and Cinderella herself.
Or the role of the elderly, wise mentor: Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mufasa, Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dumbledore.
Stories often recycle familiar roles and plots. This isn’t because authors are unoriginal (well, most of the time that’s not the case), but because a lot of stories have already been told. It’s hard to come up with a completely original story. Also, readers will expect certain formulas based on genre and form. Of course, they don’t want the exact same story they’re already read or seen, but people read romance because they want the heroine and hero to end up together. They watch crime shows because they want a story where the good guys try to catch the bad guys. They go to see a horror movie because they want to see people fighting against an unknown, hostile force.
All this to recommend to you a website: TV Tropes. This is a fun website that explores hundreds (maybe even thousands) of different “tropes” in fiction. These tropes are elements that come up again and again in different stories. They explore TV, movies, and books, as well as anime, web comics, video games, and more.
If you didn’t see these common threads before, you definitely will after exploring this website! Though it seems like it’s emphasizing cliches, it can actually help writers of fiction (whether it’s stories, comics, scripts, or whatever) to give them new ideas. It can help them see what’s been done before and in what way. I’ve used quite a few tropes in my stories — they’re all mixed into my ideas and characters and plot lines. Some are more obvious than others, but a frequent visitor of TV Tropes would probably be able to point them all out!
So, if you’re a writer or a reader, enjoy TV Tropes. Don’t waste too much time.
What an awesome site thank you for that. I have noticed these in TV as well as fiction. My favorite is when someone is carrying a bag of groceries. 100% of the time there is a loaf of french bread sticking out! I hope you will forgive me for pointing this out, because you will notice it every time from now on. I guarantee it!
Your short bit about the elderly mentor has always been a point of interest for me. I have noticed this throughout any bit movie series that has ever played, and frankly, I don’t think they would work without them! There is definitely a set of expectations for big movie series, and the elderly mentor with a long beard (to make them look more wise of course) is one aspect of successful (debatable) movie series.
Emily,
This is really cool. I think about all of those tropes all the time when I am writing. The world of epic fiction is hard because it seems that no new story can rise from the fray of Harry Potter and Narnia. I love these novels, but I wonder how could I write something that would ever amount to that. I think that understanding the tropes can give way to a tighter story, and can ultimately help writers like me. Thanks for sharing.
Slade
TV tropes and media issues in general are pretty cool to think about. My favorite is the idea of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, where there’s a main character that is destructively brilliant, and an assistant that cleans up his messes. Shows such as House and The Mentalist show this.
I’ve read TV Tropes before. Its a pretty cool website if you are into tv. It breaks shows down on another level. Analyzing tv is fun. Thanks for reminding me of this site.
Good post! I am interested in delving into the site. My only argument or supporting points to add for you is that these tropes exist fro a reason. Although many people suggest that there is a limit to the number of “stories” told, that at this point everything is recycled, I don’t necessarily agree. But, certain tropes are repeated because it is what works for people, it is what we want to see or hear. TV tropes are not too different than any of those in literature. The ones in literature are also not so different from those told over thousands of years in spoken storytelling. These characters in my opinion act as necessary emblems for essential lessons and facets of the human experience and the collective mythos of our numerous cultures.