Tropes & Imposter Syndrome

I’m dedicating this blog to @kehillsauthor on Threads. She had such a great response to the idea that there aren’t new story ideas. This blog may not be anything new either, but maybe the words will reach someone who needs to hear it, when they need to hear them.

I recently saw a post on Threads by someone who said a friend had pointed out to her that “enemies-to-lovers” wasn’t really a new story idea. She said that she knew “it’s about creating interesting characters and interactions, captivating scenes and plot twists AROUND those tropes” but that she still got hit hard with imposter syndrome after those comments. 

Well, first off: kudos for that initial response! Because, yes!

Second: having imposter syndrome sneak in after that isn’t a surprise. I mean, what kind of thing is that to say to someone anyway?

What is a trope? Merriam-Webster gives a couple of definitions, including “an idea or expression that has been used by many people” but when writers and readers use the phrase we generally use the word the way Urbandictionary.com recognizes it: “a plot device or variation on a theme”.

For example, if you’re a romance reader and you’re asking for recommendations, you might say you like enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, billionaire romance, etc. Sub-genres, tropes, call them what you like. 

The truth is there aren’t really new ideas anymore when it comes to a basic theme. Just look at movie theaters. Sequels, remakes, or versions of the same plot. Why should we think books are different? 

It’s what you do with that trope that makes your writing unique. Your characters, your setting, maybe a plot twist nobody saw coming. 

Should we listen to others, or that voice in our heads, that tells us we aren’t adding anything new to the world and so shouldn’t keep writing? That we aren’t good enough, creative enough, smart enough, not SOMETHING enough? Because that’s imposter syndrome. That’s doubt and fear, telling us that other people are better than we are, so we should let them do it instead. 

We all have that voice.

There are probably thousands of blogs on what imposter syndrome is and how to “overcome” it, classes on dealing with it, you name it. I certainly feel it regularly.

Everyone does, whether they admit it or not. It’s part of being a creative human being. But I think, as far as this post is concerned, it comes down to this:

Do you have an idea? Do you have characters so alive in your mind that you just have to write them down, even if the basic “they go on a journey and defeat something” plot has been done before? (The Hobbit? The Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter? Star Wars?)

Then don’t listen to the fear telling you not to do anything with those ideas.

Write. See what happens.

You may not end up becoming the next J.K. Rowling and making millions of dollars with your idea, but chances are that isn’t why you wanted to write in the first place.  You wanted to tell yourself the story and see where you could go with it.

Don’t let the idea that your plot idea has been “done before” stop you from writing your story.

Because they’ve all been done before, and we still keep coming back for more.

Because a good author is creative enough to work with, or AROUND, the trope to create something completely new.

And, one final thought that we should all consider.

Not everyone sees all those other books (or posts, or blogs, or whatever it is your imposter syndrome is making you feel like you shouldn’t do). But maybe someone will see yours, and maybe it is something they need to see, when they need to see it.

If you can positively touch even just one person, isn’t that worth it?