The Trope isn't the Problem
There's tropes in every genre and every writer has heard not to use them.
Don't do the chosen one. Skip enemies to lovers. Steer clear of the mentor who dies or the Prophecy will end it all.
But in truth readers connect with these elements. The trope feels familiar and it draws them in adversity, telling them what to expect.
Think about enemies to lovers for example. In a romance, it delivers tension and the pull of forbidden desire. In a political thriller, it bends warring ideologies can bend into something far more personal and twisty. The same trope adapts to whatever you are writing.
The chosen one trope works the same way. In YA fantasy, it's often about realising hidden strength. A white knighting hero can quickly turn into a villain if perspectives are flipped.
Genre acts as a lens rather than a set of rules. Run a familiar trope through a specific genre, and it naturally takes on fresh edges.
So don't worry about overstuffing your story with tropes. Tropes exist as a guideline to set the narrative for where your story goes and how it's structured.














