Guest Post: Jenna Guillaume, Author of ‘What I like About Me’

I love a good trope. They have a bit of a bad reputation—some reviewers say “oh, it’s so tropey” like it’s a negative thing. But if you ever hear me (or a lot of people who are into romance and rom-coms) say those words, you can be sure we’re saying that as a compliment.

When it comes down to it, tropes are really just tools that writers use to build a story. They exist in all genres—action, horror, sci-fi, fantasy…yet it seems to be only when they pop up in romance that they get sneered at.

It’s true, tropes can be cliché. But they can also be a lot of fun. It’s all in how they’re used.

With that in mind, here are some of my fave rom-com tropes—the kind that pretty much guarantee I’ll read or watch something with them in it…

Enemies to lovers
Hate and love are two sides of the same coin. That coin being passion. The “enemies” part of this involves a crackle and sizzle that’s hard to resist. This is the kind of trope that makes for truly excellent banter, as the couple bicker their way through the ~tension~ that exists between them before finally giving in to their urges (to kiss each other, of course). It’s very, very hot.

Best friends to lovers
Good relationships are often built on a solid foundation of friendship. It’s hard to resist a love story where the main pair know each other better than anyone else. All we want in life, after all, is to be known and seen, and this is the perfect trope for feeding into that fantasy. It helps if one person realises they’re in love before the other, because that results in a whole bunch of delicious pining and yearning (and occasional screaming by the reader/viewer at the other person to just WAKE UP and see what’s right in front of them).

Fake dating
This is the kind of trope that legitimately never happens in real life but that is so damn fun in fiction. I think part of the appeal lies in the fact that there are generally very specific rules involved, making the whole process ostensibly less chaotic than “real” dating, and also more tantalising (after all, what’s more irresistible thank breaking the rules?). It’s even better when the fake dating trope is combined with enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers.

Switched places
I’m not sure what it is about this trope that’s so fun—maybe that it’s so ridiculous—but I’m a sucker for it every time. Especially if there are twins or doppelgangers involved. Often it allows characters to step outside their own (sometimes self-imposed) boundaries, break through their comfort zones, and really challenge themselves. In terms of romance, it usually leads characters to meeting people they wouldn’t typically associate with, which is always exciting. The key with this trope is that it must be done in a way that leaves no room for gross consent issues.

Forced proximity
This is a pretty broad trope that covers a lot of different situations—basically any in which two characters have to spend a lot of time (and space) together. Maybe they have to live together for some ridiculous reason, or perhaps they’re even locked in a room or stuck in an elevator. Best of all, they might have to check in to a hotel at the last minute and share a room where (gasp!) there’s only one bed!!! Again, this trope is even more powerful when it’s combined with enemies or best friends to lovers. It often really ushers along that “lovers” part. Ahem.