We all have our limits. Some writers say they’ll never write a love triangle. Others swear off the “Chosen One.” Me? I have declared, with great solemnity (and perhaps a touch of arrogance), that I will not fall into certain well-worn fantasy tropes.
And yet.
And yet.
Like an ill-advised summoning spell, those very same tropes keep appearing in my books. Entirely against my will, obviously. I am but a vessel through which the story flows. (This is the excuse I cling to, at least.)
So, let’s talk about a few of the ones I swore I wouldn’t write—until I did.
1. The Male Wizard
Ah, yes. The old, wise, robe-swirling magic man. Maybe he’s a brooding mentor. Maybe he’s the reluctant hero with untapped potential. Maybe he’s slightly unhinged and mutters to himself while concocting spells of dubious legality.
I have, on numerous occasions, tried to break free. I have said, “No more male wizards. I will write something different.”
And then, somehow, another male wizard shows up.
Is it my fault? Or is it simply a cosmic law of fantasy that once you write one, they start multiplying like enchanted rabbits? Hard to say.
2. Celtic-Inspired Magic and Mythology
Look, if Celtic magic is a trope, then I am guilty beyond redemption. I have essentially made a home in this particular narrative space, decorated it with standing stones and fairy circles, and declared myself its ruler.
I love the myths. I love the eerie, otherworldly feel of them. I love the way magic in Celtic lore is often mysterious, fickle, and deeply tied to nature. And I definitely love all the unsettling deals with supernatural beings that seem like a good idea at the time but will inevitably come back to haunt the foolish mortal who agreed to them.
Have I tried to branch out? Sure. Have I succeeded? Let’s not dwell on that.
3. Found Family
This one isn’t just a trope I gravitate toward—it’s one I cling to. Fantasy is full of lost heirs, forsaken children, and heroes who have no real home, and maybe that’s why the idea of a found family resonates so deeply.
My own family is… diminished, these days. And truth be told, I was never really one of its favorite members to begin with. So the notion that people can choose each other, that bonds of loyalty and love aren’t always dictated by blood, appeals to the near-orphan in me.
I love writing characters who find a place where they belong, who create a family with the people who love them—not because they have to, but because they want to.
So, yeah. Guilty as charged. No regrets.
4. [Insert Trope Here—You Tell Me]
At this point, dear reader, you might be thinking: “Okay, but what other tropes have you secretly embraced despite your protests?”
That’s where you come in. If you’ve read my books, you already know the answer. So tell me—what fantasy tropes have I utterly failed to resist? Am I secretly addicted to the Ancient Prophecy? Have I, despite my best intentions, succumbed to the lure of the Tragic Backstory™?
Drop your accusations in the comments. I will read them with great amusement (and possibly mild shame).
And in the meantime, I solemnly swear I will not write another male wizard. Probably. Maybe. We’ll see.
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