Wednesday Lumen: Breaking the Trope Wide Open Prompt

Wednesday Lumen: Breaking the Trope Wide Open Prompt

Key techniques to develop

1. Subverting reader expectations by twisting familiar tropes into fresh, surprising portrayals

2. Layering internal conflict over external role to add psychological depth beyond surface traits

3. Building specificity of detail so the character cannot be mistaken for any other, even if their trope is recognizable

Writing prompt (500 words)

Write a scene featuring a familiar trope-driven character such as a grizzled detective, a lonely widow, or a rebellious teenager. Open with their most recognizable behaviors or traits so the reader quickly identifies the trope. In the first 150 words, establish the trope clearly through action, dialogue, and setting. In the next 200 words, introduce a specific, non-stereotypical complication that disrupts the reader’s expectations. This complication should grow from an internal motivation or past experience that is not typically associated with this trope. In the final 150 words, have the character act in a way that combines the familiar with the unexpected, revealing a deeper truth about who they are. The final action or choice should feel both surprising and inevitable. Keep the scene grounded in vivid sensory and emotional detail so the reader experiences the shift rather than simply observing it.

Evaluation criteria

• The trope is recognizable early in the piece without falling into cliché or exaggeration

• The unexpected complication feels rooted in the character’s history rather than added as a gimmick

• Details are specific and individual rather than generic

• The final choice is both surprising and consistent with the character’s deeper motivations

• Pacing shifts naturally to support the moment when the complication appears and the character changes course

Strong vs. weak response examples

Strong: A grizzled detective who begins by tossing a case file aside, lighting a cigarette, and delivering clipped sarcasm to a rookie, then takes a call from his estranged teenage son and decides to attend the son’s piano recital instead of the planned stakeout. The decision plays against type yet feels earned through hints of past regret.

Weak: A grizzled detective who abruptly decides to go skydiving without any prior setup. The change in behavior does not connect to motivation and delivers no emotional payoff.

Follow-up workshopping questions

• Does the unexpected element reveal something essential about the character’s inner life rather than simply offering a quirky surprise

• Are the details strong enough to make this character feel unique

• Does the pacing give the reader enough time to adjust to the shift

• Is the final choice true to the deeper character even if it is not true to the trope

Recommended reading

The Paperhanger by William Gay for its transformation of a seemingly predictable small-town trope into something layered and unsettling

AI Disclosure Statement:

This writing prompt was created in collaboration with ChatGPT, an AI model by OpenAI, to support creative practice. ChatGPT assisted with idea generation and drafting; the final text was edited by the author. The illustration was created using Google Gemini.