Writing Situations and Tropes
It's quite long this time - it might help. Took me ages to write since I was trying to be as detailed as possible. 16 points, 8 of each. Writing (certain) Situations and Tropes
1. Fights should be about intent.
Your character can be an amazing fighter. Your character can struggle to land a clean hit. Both are fine. What matters is why the fight is happening. There doesn’t need to be a fully developed reason like a tragic backstory — but there does need to be something. Fear. Instinct. Protection. Panic. A line being crossed. A fight shouldn’t exist just because you want your character to look impressive or “special.” Remember that. (note to self) (To people who want an example, I've written a fight scene in my WIP which I'm going to share with y'all very soon, and you can read it and kinda see what I mean by this. It's coming in Chapter 5.)
2. Breaking Points are so important.
Breaking points don’t have to be obvious. How to make it even better? When it’s written from someone else’s point of view. Because suddenly, we don’t get access to that character’s thoughts anymore. We watch them break without being told it’s happening — and distance makes it hurt more. But wait. Want to make it hurt even more? Let the other character miss it. Let them see the smile. Hear the jokes. Watch your character act fine enough to be believable — so people and brush it off. Let them think, They’re okay. They always bounce back. And only later, with context they didn’t have at the time, do they realise that moment wasn’t stability. It was the breaking point. The last time your character had the energy to pretend. (PLEASE I'm begging you. If you've done this before PLEASE show me! I live for these situations. Message me or just put it in the comments, I'm sure there are other people who'd love to see it.)
3. Pain doesn’t have to be dramatic to be real.
Pain isn’t always screaming, crying, or collapsing to the floor. Sometimes it’s replying “I’m fine” too quickly. Sometimes it’s going quiet in conversations they used to lead. Sometimes it’s doing everything almost right and not knowing why it feels wrong. Big reactions can work — but quiet pain often lingers longer, because it shows how deeply something has settled in. But sometimes, it can just be your character sitting down and realising they don’t have the energy to stand back up yet. Those are the best kind.
4. A death should leave a shape behind.
A death isn’t powerful because someone stopped breathing — it’s powerful because the world doesn’t fit the same way afterwards. If everything returns to normal too quickly, the death won’t land. Same with killing off a character. Do it if you want too... but will it change how the character thinks? Does it change anything in the story?
5. Apologies can't be written just because it's needed somewhere.
We’ve all read it.
A: “I’m sorry.”
B: “Sorry? You think saying sorry is enough?”
So what I'm saying is simple. Let the character talk first. Let them explain what they did, what they misunderstood, what they failed to notice. Let them say, No, I need to say this, and actually say it — plainly, without excuses, without fishing for reassurance. Then, once the damage is named and owned, let “I’m sorry” land as a conclusion, not a shortcut. Because for the love of God please stop dragging it. We want to see them be besties again. We want to see them hold hands and skip around. We want to see them roll down a hill together. (I'm trying to be funny leave me alone. Anyway moving on)
6. Make the Villain lie.
OH MY GOD Why the freak do Villains in movies have 10 whole ass minutes to reveal their evil idea? You're not an evil genius if you tell the Hero your idea dumbass. If you want your villain to feel truly evil, stop letting them explain themselves. Let their actions speak. Let the aftermath speak. OMG just had a lightbulb moment. Want to make your villain evil? Make them lie in their monologue. Let them feed the hero just enough information to sound believable — then send them chasing the wrong problem. While the hero is scrambling to stop Plan A, the villain is already halfway through Plan C. A villain who can weaponise trust, assumptions, and urgency is far more dangerous than one who plays fair. (This is the smartest writer thing I've said this year)
7. Parents are easy to flatten. Don’t.
As a teen writer, I find myself doing this a lot when I'm planning, and I think it shouldn't be normalised. Whenever a guardian/parent is mentioned, they're often dismissed quickly in a child's eyes. Totally understandable. But what’s rare (and powerful) is letting the story look back. Not to worship the parents nor excuse damage. Just to acknowledge that raising someone is hard, thankless, and often done while carrying fear, exhaustion, and mistakes of their own. Let the child grow enough to realise that some choices were made under pressure, with limited options — even if those choices still hurt. Complexity doesn’t mean forgiveness. It just means honesty. This could also help you, as a writer, explain why your character acts the way they do.
8. Don’t borrow a disease — borrow the experience.
If you’re writing about an illness or condition you don’t have, your job isn’t to perfectly replicate symptoms — it’s to respect the human reality of living with it. Avoid turning the disease into a personality trait, a plot device, or shorthand for suffering. Do your research, yes — but focus on how it interrupts life, not just how it looks on paper. Fatigue, frustration, accommodations, embarrassment, routine, resilience, boredom. And one more thing: accuracy matters, but humility matters more. Write with care, acknowledge limits, and don’t assume pain looks the same on everyone. (One of my characters has schizophrenia which makes writing difficult, but on a humanity perspective, it's easier to visualise. Doesn't mean I'm right though, so research is needed.)
9. If your “grumpy” character is rude to everyone, they’re not grumpy — they’re just mean.
Grumpy characters usually have limits. They might be quiet, blunt, or irritable, but they still have tells: someone they soften for, rules they won’t cross, moments where they choose silence over cruelty. If they’re cruel in every situation, readers stop rooting for them. Grumpy characters can get annoying after a while but sometimes they can be important. Especially if you've created them.
10. If your villain makes good points but never wins, they’re wasted.
A compelling villain should be right sometimes. They should succeed in small ways. If they’re always shut down immediately, they stop feeling threatening and start feeling performative. Honestly, there are SO MANY people who root for the villain more than the hero... so give them the satisfaction. Oops, Hero didn't expect that did they? Looks like Villain has the upper hand. And now it's up to you to see where you want your story to go. How are you going to make the Hero win? How are you going to give the Villain a satisfying ending?
11. If your slow burn jumps straight to devotion, you skipped the work.
Slow burn isn’t about delaying the kiss — it’s about layering trust. Before love, there should be hesitation, misreads, secrets, small moments of care that don’t get acknowledged yet. If they’d already die for each other three chapters in, the tension’s gone. Slow burn means taking time to get to the point so please take time.
12. If your “found family” only shows up to support the MC, it feels hollow.
Found family works because everyone needs something — not just the protagonist. Let them argue. Let them disappoint each other. Let support go both ways. A family that exists only to cheer is a fan club, not a family. Same with proper family. A 'happy all the time' and 'supportive' family seems way too unrealistic but having one that may fight all the time but would never leave MC in a vulnerable situation? That sounds more realistic. BUT this all depends on your MC's situation, life style and backstory. We can't have a MC with a history of domestic abuse be welcomed with open arms when things get rough. Even when they're with their 'found family' it doesn't necessarily mean they'd be comfortable all the time with them.
13. If you use miscommunication as conflict, give it a reason to last.
One wrong sentence shouldn’t fuel five chapters of angst unless there’s fear, history, or risk involved. Make silence a choice, not a convenience. I'm going to be completely honest. What the f*ck do you mean the MC hates his lover/partner/friend because they didn't answer the question properly or they stuttered for a second? I'm sorry but that happens to everyone. Sure, if you wanna do that, go for it. But please don't drag it unless MC has a proper reason for doing so. (does this make sense?)
14. If your characters agree too quickly, you skipped conflict.
People rarely align perfectly — even when they want the same thing. Let disagreements be small, persistent, and human. BUT I'm not saying you should create conflict every time your characters don't agree. I'm saying make sure if you want the scene to land, make there be a reason or emotion behind it.
15. Miscommunication can create growth.
When used well, miscommunication isn’t just angst — it gives characters space to change. Time apart can force them to confront things they were avoiding, learn new truths, or grow into someone different than they were before. The key is that the distance does something. If nothing changes while they’re apart, the miscommunication isn’t development — it’s delay. And that's when readers start screaming at the page going 'talk to each other you dumb f*ckers!' (or is that just me?)
16. If your love triangle has a clear “correct” option from the start, it won’t work.
A good triangle forces a real decision. Each option should represent something different — safety vs growth, comfort vs risk, past vs future. If one option is obviously wrong, readers disengage. Even if you know exactly who your character is going to end up with, the reader doesn't... so use that to your advantage. Show the worst parts of your chosen character, show the best in the other... then switch it around... and after, the reader will be sitting at the edge of their seat trying to figure out who the 'chosen one' is. So worth it.
Final note (because this matters):
I’ve realised a lot of this is basically me rambling about what I prefer as a reader and writer. That doesn’t make it universal, and it definitely doesn’t make it “the right way.” If any of this doesn’t match your style, ignore it. Seriously. I’m not trying to make anyone change how they write — and if you read something here and thought, oh no, I shouldn’t do that, please don’t take it that way. Writing isn’t a rulebook.
These are just tips that helped me. That’s it. They’re not better. They’re not final. They’re just mine.
So take what works. Leave what doesn’t.
And remember this part, because it’s the most important one:
Your writing is already incredible.
by writingwithoutconfidence
