#trope grading

There is only one bed - A. Is it cliche to the max? Yes. Is the concept of sharing a bed with someone you're not with as an adult annoying? Also yes (<- woman who shares bed with her sister on vacation). Do I care about any of these things? NO.

It's about the tension. The gulf between wanting and having that stretches out between two people on a queen-sized bed.

The accidental touching and then the waking up cuddling. The vulnerability of letting someone see you with all your walls down.

(also HIIIIIIIIIII happy to see you on here 🥰 hope life is treating you gently)

❤️❤️❤️❤️ I'm okay! Been better and been worse. Spending a lot of time staring at plants, which seems to be helping.

Also, for the trope...

Yeah, I know, I'm super late to this party. I love getting tagged in these, though, even if it takes me ages and ages to actually join in! So thank you to @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, and @you-remind-me-of-the-babe for the tags!

Okay, Imma do this thing.

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 - don't care either way

+10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it's a hard no and you'd never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you'd insta click out of the fic if it wasn't tagged

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it's conditional.

Age gap: -3

It really depends on the age gap, but some of the larger age gaps do kind of put me off. I'll still read the fic if there are other elements that really intrigue me, but I'll probably try to pretend that there isn't a two decade gap between the two (usually) lovers. That said, there are odd exceptions, like when supernatural stuff gets involved - longevity, immortality, etc. However, even in those cases I really need to see a reason why someone with so much life experience would go for someone of a less than mature age. It's doable, but it takes effort. (Vampires are why this is a -3 and not a -8 or something, won't lie.)

Codependency: 0

I'M NOT SURE. IT DEPENDS. *agonized* Okay, not really agonized. There are a lot of codependent relationships that somehow just work in fiction. Some that are even magically healthy lol. But I feel like "Codependency" could be a warning as much as it could be an asset, so it really does depend on how it's treated within the fic for me. That said, there are my ships that are totally codependent, and I refuse to be parted from them XD

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: +7

Om nom nom. As with all things, there can be too much of a good thing, and one must recognize that nummy possessivness in fic does not translate necessarily to possessiveness in real life. But honestly, that's true of like all of these LOL I love a (nontoxic) possessive protag. Show me a guy who twitches when someone else eyes his significant other, and then show me that same guy reminding said significant other why he is the one for them in a sweet, sexy way. Ahem. I think beyond jealousy, though, I appreciate how "possessive" can also translate to "protective." Again, see the disclaimer that this isn't real life. In fic, I love it when two people are protective of each other in their unique ways. So basically, I don't like jealousy or possessiveness for the sake of simply having a jealous tantrum. It has to be built into the character, with reasons and depth and all that good stuff. But when that happens? Gimme. (See Snowbaz)

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine, etc): +10

You'd have to work pretty hard to get me to not enjoy this one. It's such a powerful dynamic that one can do so much with.

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: +9

Enemies to Lovers is my candy. Especially when combined with the above trope. And maybe the one before that, too. Enemies with benefits can be really fun too, but I'm not really into chemistry-only scenarios (I just don't get it) so I like seeing them catch feelings along the way. By accident. Oops. XD

Friends with benefits: -8

Ummm. Well. Again, I don't really understand the allo chemistry angle, so I usually have to connect with characters on an emotional level to get anything out of any story (romantic or not). I love a well written friendship and I value those relationships highly, but it feels awkward to me for them to get busy. >.> If the friendship grows into something more romantic to complement the physical intimacy, then that works for me.

Sex to feelings: +5

So long as the feelings don't drop in at the end like a deus ex romantica, this is a trope that can be excellent to explore. (Caveat though: I generally don't go for stories that begin with casual hook-ups. I need a more personal and/or solid premise than dumb luck at a dumb bar. Ahem. I may have opinions about the prevalience of that premise in the romance genre.) Character growth through sex can be absolutely beautiful, and I'm usually game to give any fic with this theme a try at least. I love a sexy slow burn, too, where the sexual tension is positively sparking, and all their carefully built emotional defenses are slowly peeled away like so much silk and satin and-- Yeah that. Also. Everyone already knows this, but just in case go read Someone Wicked by @artsyunderstudy for the best possible example of this trope EVAH.

Fake dating/relationship: +10

Why is this so awesome? WHY IS THIS THE BEST? But it is the best. It's just the best. (And actually I could write an essay on why it's the best probably because I think too hard about these things, but you don't really need me to, right?)

Friends to lovers: +2

Okay, had to think about this one. I'm not sure what counts as strictly friends to lovers, tbh. I love angst and pining and hopelessly-in-love-with-him situations. (Of course I do.) So if this includes that, with either one or both of the characters holding back because they don't want to lose what they already have with their friend and OMG THE ANGST then hell yeah, bring it on. But I've also read one too many "and then they fell into bed" situations (where it's just lazy writing, not the good kind), which knocks my rating down a bit. Oh, but I also like how friends to lovers can build over a slow burn fic, where the foundation for a truly awesome relationship starts with something platonic. (Also love a good QPP, though the tension has a completely different tone, and usually is explored in a different way than with romantic stuffs. But yeah, show me two people discovering their bestie for life while defending the kingdom from dragon AI or something.)

Found Family: TOP BILLING

This is the dream. I will never EVER get tired of seeing characters find their families, no matter the shape, size, form, whatever. Show me the power of love comes in so many forms and show me the healing. Show me protagonists finding HOME and I will fucking cry my eyes out every time and love them eternally. Pretty much all my favorite stories, throughout my entire life, have at least some element of this in play.

Hurt/Comfort: Um.... 0?

I had to ask an expert in the field about this one because I legit didn't know what it meant. (la la fanfic newbie la la) Now that I know what it means, I'm sorta like... well. Yeah? I mean. Yeah? Cause I wouldn't much care for hurt/hurt and comfort/comfort is really only fluff, right? IDK maybe I still don't understand it. But I see this tag everywhere, so it's sort of non-impact thing for me. So here's what I like: ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING. Give me the PAAAAIIIIN. And then give me RELIEF when it stops and the good picks up as a reward for all that painful growth. TORTURE MY HEART but then kiss it and make it better at the end. XD If it's that, then fuck yeah +10.

Love Triangle: -8

I used to be into these when they were all over the YA market in the aughts. (I was Team Edward but only because Bella was obviously stupid for him.) Now though, I find them kind of annoying unless they're handled with crazy good clever care. (Seriously though, I've read some really bad ones, bordering on offensive, lately. So I'm not optimistic.) I want a happy ending for the characters I care about, though. That's really hard to do in a love triangle.

Poly, open relationships: +3

I'm monogomous by nature, so that's where my interest tends to lean when looking at romantic set-ups. That said, I've recently read some very sexy reverse harem books that gave the characters some solid emotional connections. So I'm open to it, and will usually take a peek at a fic with this tag. But I really need to be able to believe that the poly set-up is truly best for everyone involved and not something someone is settling for just so they can be with that One Person They Actually Want.

Mistaken/hidden identity: +10

Yeeeeesssss. There is something so delicious about not knowing the exact identity of the person you're falling for. Mystery lover can be extremely sexy, but then it doesn't have to just be a chemistry thing, either. I love the search for the unknown person that inevitably follows, and the mystery solving necessary. Sometimes the scavenger hunt LOL Unexpected usages of this trope get ALL my attention. It's one that pretty much requires a unique premise, so I'm all for it whenever I see it.

Monsterfucking: +10

The hardest ones to love are the ones who need it the most! Also. Cool accessories like wings and horns and fangs and what-have-you. Abso-fucking-lutely.

Pregnancy: Uh. What? 0? Or... -5 mpreg?

Not sure I've actually seen this outside of mpreg (which is usually not my jam). There are exceptions, though, but I'm very picky when it comes to mpreg. As for straight up regular biologically female pregnancy? Uh. I guess? It can be romantic in a way if it builds the relationship and they're taken care of and everything. But I don't think I'd pay special attention to it. (I've written fic where there was a pregnant woman in the story, and there were romantic moments with her husband, but it wasn't the central storyline.)

Second Chance: -10, unless it's Snowbaz

Simon and Baz make it work because the good outweighs the bad. But outside of that, it's a big turn-off for me. I got really burned out on this in the romance genre in novels. Some girl would move back home and run into the farm boy she left behind cause he broke her heart blah blah blah. It got TIRED after awhile. Also, why did they break up? Is that just... not an issue anymore? The only example of this working outside of Snowbaz for me is the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Cause he worked for it.

Slowburn: +9

As if you didn't know already by now LOL I'm almost always here for it. It's also one of my favorite tropes to write. I'm willing to wait for it. I'm willing to watch the simmer in anticipation of the moment it all boils over. Give them time to build something in addition to the chemistry, give them more than just a flash in the pan. (Good gravy the food metaphors here are plentiful.) Don't drag it out unnecessarily, but if there's character growth, REASONS for it, then I will take that journey. But if there isn't a payoff at the end, Imma be mad XD

Soulmates: +5

Okay, look. I just. I just like fated mates, okay? Ahem. I love a good fated mates story. (The best one I read was one where they met, realized they were fated, and then had to awkwardly get to know each other and come to terms with the fact that the universe just decided for them... but also... he's pretty great, must admit... XD) Outside of the "Fated Mates" subcategory, it gets a little less definite. I take other types of soulmate tropes on a case by case basis. I don't like it when it's used as a crutch to get people together (even in fated mates, there's gotta be a process and a reason and all that), but when it's done well it can pack a really powerful punch. It can also break my heart. So I handle with care.

Omg I kept seeing this on my dashboard and I was hoping to get tagged! Thank you @seiya-starsniper for tagging me, love! :D

Ok so, I'm not picky at all when it comes to tropes and fun things to write and read, so expect most of these to be in the positive range. Also, slight disclaimer, no one's gonna like the same things. What I'm obsessed with may not work for others and that's OK!

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 - don't care either way

+10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it's a hard no and you'd never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you'd insta click out of the fic if it wasn't tagged

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it's conditional.

Age gap: +3

So I'm usually not a fan of large age gaps. I find them rather squicky irl, and I'm not very keen on clicking fics that contain them. That being said, if I happen to read a summary that sounds interesting to me, or if the fic is by a writer I enjoy, I'll most likely read it.

I will most likely not write anything involving age gap though, unless a friend asks me to.

Codependency: +5

I like fics that start out this way. Where the two people cannot function without the other. However, if this leads to them finding independence WHILE still needing the person in their life, yesssssss! Having a character learning to be happy on their own and on their own terms is the good shit for me.

That being said, both Dreamling and SnowBaz have some of the most co-dependant fuckers I've seen. They're so much fun to write though. :D

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: +5

This depends on the level of intensity, and whether it becomes toxic or not. I will not read a fic that involves the main pairing being abusive towards each other. If it becomes dark towards each other, I'm clicking out. That being said, the "No one gets to touch you, but me" or "No one gets to have dirty thoughts of you" shit is so fucking GOOD.

Both Dreamling and SnowBaz have this shit and I eat it up every single time.

And yes, I will GLADLY write this. No questions asked.

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine etc): +10

Oh yesssss!!!! Love love love this trope! It's so much fun to read how different authors decide to tackle this. Will the dark one find reasons to be sunshiny? Will the sunshiny one learn how to cope with darkness as it comes and goes? How does their dynamic work? How do they deal with other people? So many possibilities! Love it!

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: +50

Hi, hello! This is my JAM. I think every major fandom I've been a part of had some sort of pairing like this, and each one was handled with perfection. Though Dreamling is less Enemies to Lovers, and more Acquaintances to Friends to HOPEFULLY LOVERS.

However, I also live in the Carry On fandom, and my fam from there will tell you that Simon and Baz are perfect Enemies to Lovers! It's just such a fun trope to see tow people going from absolutely HATING each other, to being madly in love.

They DO say that there is a fine line between love and hate.

Friends with benefits: +5

This can be a REALLY fun trope to play around with. I haven't read many fics where they strictly stay as fuck buddies. Normally, they always progress to being in a relationship after developing FEELINGS. I would like to read a fic where they stay strictly platonic, and are happy staying as fuck buddies. Or maybe one ends up in a relationship and it's just... fine.

Sex to feelings: +5

See, this is what the FWB usually ends up becoming. So I'm marking it the same as the FWB. All of the FWB fics I've read eventually end up becoming this. Same with the Enemies with Benefits. Almost always, it ends up with one or both the characters developing feelings.

And I'm pretty happy with that, but it's gotta have a good plot attached to it as well.

Fake dating/relationship: +8

Ohhhh yes! I love a good fake dating story. The underlying angst over one loving the other (because it ALWAYS happens) coupled with the fear of being Found Out is so perfect.

Then you have the moment when Everything Is Revealed, and so you get more angst and pining until the eventual resolution.

Friends to lovers: +50

The amount of love I feel for the Enemies to Lovers is equal to the love I feel for Friends to Lovers. Enemies to Lovers is hot and heavy and good for writing those intense feelings growing into something positive. With Friends to Lovers, it's a bit of a slower burn, but nice because your characters already have a good relationship. But oh no... one wants something different. What if their friend doesn't feel the same? What if it ruins everything?

Dreamling fandom has done this SO WELL.

Found Family: +5

YESSSSSSS! Ok look, if it's the only trope in the fic, then I'll probably skip it, unless it's got a really compelling plot attached to it. I am such a sucker for found family though. Where you have a rag tag group of outcasts and misfits who find comfort and love amongst each other... Yes, give me all of that.

Hurt/Comfort: +10000000000000000000

THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE TROPE! BAR NONE! END OF STORY!

The fucking AAAAAAANGST with one partner being hurt and the stress with wondering if they'll be ok and be reunited with their partner.

Then the soothing balm that comfort provides... Ughhhhh yes. Give me that shit NOW.

Let it known, that I will ONLY read a hurt/whump fic, if there is AMPLE comfort as well. Beat up your characters, but give them hugs and tea and bandaids after.

Love Triangle: -10

I am NOT a big fan of love triangles. Ok well... that depends. If it's an ACTUAL love triangle, where all three people have feelings for each other, I can get onboard. I have recently found that I really like reading poly fics.

However, if it's the type of bullshit where one person has two people fighting over them... it's a no for me. I'm not a fan of Love Angles (because that's what they are).

Poly, open relationships: +8

You know. I never really thought I'd end up liking poly ships as much as I do. It started when I got into AtLA, and saw a really well-written Zuko/Sokka/Suki fic. The writer just really convinced me that they all genuinely loved each other.

I guess it comes down to how well the author can convince me that they all have feelings for each other and are in a respectful relationship.

Convince me that no one is being mistreated and I'm down for reading your poly/open fic. :)

We all have two hands after all.

Mistaken/hidden identity: +1

I'm very meh with this trope. I don't know, it doesn't interest me as much as other tropes do. I mean, if you've got a good spy fic where one has to hide who they are on fear of death, I can vibe with that. If the stakes are raised, I can get on board with it. :)

Monsterfucking: +50

My favourite movie as a kid was Beauty and the Beast. I was UPSET when he changed into a prince.

I was obsessed with Twilight as a teen.

HI CARRY ON FANDOM!!!!

Yes, I am ALL for monster fucking. Go fucking WILD!

Pregnancy: +5

I'm not a fan of writing out the whole process of pregnancy, because frankly it terrifies me. But I do love the idea of unexpected pregnancy and kid-fics. They can be a lot of fun :)

Second Chance: +10

I am currently writing a medical second chance fic. And I am having so much fun writing it. I love second chance fics. Sometimes, people who are supposed to be together aren't together at the right time. Sometimes people need to grow before they're ready to be together.

The slow coming back to feelings after time is so sweet to read. Are the feelings still there after time has passed? Is it too late for us? Did we miss our shot? Is it worth jumping into love at this time?

Slowburn: +10000000000

Yesssssssssssss! Drag that shit out. Have the relationship develop slowwwwwwwwlyyyyyyyyy. Give me missed opportunities, and interrupted kisses. Give me pining and second thoughts, and uncertainty. Give me months of going back and forth.

Give me the Oh... OH moment!

Soulmates: +10

Soulmates are so fucking fun! And I have read so many good soulmate fics (heck, I even WROTE one). There are so many different ways you can portray two people being soulmates. And I'm not just talking about the way it presents, but also the type of soulmate. The fic I wrote had platonic soulmates. Soulmates who are connected and love each other but it isn't romantic. They're just each other's Person.

I would love to see this concept explored more (the fic I wrote had them as background characters), as well as other types of soulmates. Can you have familial soulmates? Sexual soulmates? Purely romantic soulmates? Friendly soulmates? Multiple soulmates? There are so many ways to play with this trope!

first of all i get the impression ur giving me strong writing hints here haha

snowed in: haha bruh as a canadian this is REAL THING and dear to me. i have lived adjacent and less-dramatic versions of this trope MANY TIMES and it has gotten me laid. 'oh...the roads look really bad' 'yeah...do you want to stay the night?' 'ok~'. objectively people bang when snowed in. or when they mutually pretend to be, if you are me, a slut who is lazy and always wants to stay the night. it's also a super hot device for group and interpersonal dynamics in a real Winter Storm Scenario. you can't get out of each other's hair. daily life is interrupted. things are Unusual. infinite options for disrupting the mechanisms of daily life that are keeping characters apart or barely holding them together. can be played for horror, drama, humour, heart-warming folks-looking-after-one-another-ness. it's a great catalyst. 12/10 grade: S-tier! (the s is for snow) because i'll probably give any snowed in fic a try - even if i'd not read it at all otherwise

only one bed: a timeless classic no deep insight here. grade: A, love it

road trip: similar confinement catalyst as snowed in, except with changing scenery. interesting possibilities for having an initial journey with motivation or enthusiasm that changes over time due to evolving feelings for one another. all of these dovetail so beautifully. scene: our gang is on a road trip. bonding over snacks and music. bickering. wow such an enclosed space look at them being totally normal about it. oh no. bumbles mcfuck didn't book enough rooms at the bnb. character a and b must share a bed. do they volunteer? do they draw straws? night falls. wind howls. a storm is blowing in. morning comes. a and b have woken up cuddling but nobody notices. because something is wrong. it's strangely silent. why? they're SNOWED IN grade: A, love it

Ooooo it's an interesting one!!

For me it can go from an F to a C to be honest depending on other factors

As a prerequisite I Cannot read sad ending ones I'm too weak (and only ever do MCD in an au where like it already happens in the story) so I only do the ones where it's Perceived unrequited love and they actually do return their feelings and save them at the end

not an immediate nope, but I have to be in the right mood. If I am, though, it's got some good angsty venty 'they could never love me' stuff ofc (I've read two asadaisuga ones - Asahi pov - that broke my Heart).

It can get in the weeds a bit in terms of putting the other person in a very difficult position?? like, what if they Don't love them back? It can end up feeling kinda just like,, really good luck that they did, which can be kinda unsatisfying. Recently I've been rly into the alternative someone suggested where it's not Unrequited feelings that do it, but Secret ones, so confessing will save them even if the other person doesn't love them back? As that puts more agency on the main character, and keeps it from being like "if You happen to not have feelings for me, I'll die" which can just feel like kinda a bummer

Soulmate AU - words on body: D, definitely not my favorite. I read a few too many when I first jumped into MCU fic and I got real tired of it real quick.

Soulmate AU - can't see colors: Solid B! It's such a different, welcome change from the other versions of this. Definitely not enough people play with this one, in my opinion. Also mildly biased because I received an excellent Shieldshock version of this for my 30th birthday.