I have recently discovered that many of my favorite books & movies include "Tropes". This is not a bad thing as good writing, good characterizations or plots can entertain even based on many of these.
(Yes, some websites have defined "Tropes" as figure of speech, but many book-reviews mention that a book contains tropes like "Marry Sue" and others).
I even found
http://thebooksmugglers.com/2016/08/...am-no-one.html Book Smugglers - Trope Anatomy that takes a few and dives into them.
So I started to think about Tropes and I have decided I am interested in both Character and Plot Tropes. Things like the "Mary Sue/Gary Sue" character (always perfect), The "Damaged Hero" and "Gay Best Friend so you do not become a love interest & we can discuss my love interest" help define characters. (Don't forget the soon-to-be-knocked-off "Red Shirt" character).
The "Find a Family", "Love Triangle" and "Murder in a Locked Room" seem to be plot tropes. But these are also considered Literary devices or even genres.
So now I start to get confused.
Does anybody have a website that lists common Character and Plot Tropes?
The word "Trope" is usually associated with cliche or over-used/worn out concepts. I am NOT looking for tropes in a pejorative sense. I am looking at how these simple concepts become the framework for a story.