Fanfiction Tropes

Enemies to LoversRomance

Two characters who genuinely oppose each other slowly discover respect, then attraction.

Tip: The hostility needs a real cause. Resolve the reason, not just the mood.

Friends to LoversRomance

A long friendship tips into romance, usually after one moment reframes everything.

Tip: Show what they risk losing. The friendship is the stakes.

Slow BurnRomance

Romantic payoff is delayed for most of the work; tension builds over many scenes.

Tip: Give readers small payoffs (a hand hold, a look) on a steady rhythm.

Fake DatingRomance

Characters pretend to be a couple for a practical reason and the feelings turn real.

Tip: Decide the rules of the arrangement early so you can break them later.

Only One BedRomance

Circumstance forces two characters to share a bed, making proximity unavoidable.

Tip: The bed is the setup; the conversation in the dark is the scene.

Mutual PiningRomance

Both characters are in love and each believes it is unrequited.

Tip: Alternate POV so readers see both sides of the misunderstanding.

SoulmatesRomance

A world mechanic (marks, first words, red string, colour) ties destined partners.

Tip: Invent one clear rule for your soulmate mark and one exception to it.

Hurt/ComfortPlot

One character is hurt physically or emotionally and another cares for them.

Tip: The comfort should reveal something the characters never say aloud.

Fix-ItPlot

A story that repairs a canon event the writer disliked, often a death or a breakup.

Tip: Name the exact canon moment you diverge from in the summary.

Canon DivergencePlot

The story follows canon until one change sends events a different way.

Tip: Trace consequences honestly: one change should ripple outward.

Time TravelPlot

A character goes back (or forward), usually with knowledge of what is coming.

Tip: Set rules for paradoxes in the first chapter and keep them.

AmnesiaPlot

A character loses memories, forcing relationships to be rebuilt or revealed.

Tip: The interesting character is often the one who remembers.

Found FamilyPlot

Unrelated characters become a chosen family through loyalty and shared hardship.

Tip: Small domestic rituals (dinners, nicknames) sell the family faster than speeches.

Secret IdentityPlot

One character hides who they really are from someone close to them.

Tip: Plan the reveal scene first and write towards it.

BodyguardPlot

One character is assigned to protect the other, forcing constant proximity.

Tip: Duty versus desire is the engine; make the job matter.

Five Times Plus OneStructure

Five short scenes where something happens (or doesn't) and a sixth where it finally changes.

Tip: Vary settings across the five so the pattern feels like time passing.

DrabbleStructure

Traditionally a story of exactly 100 words; now often used for any very short fic.

Tip: One moment, one turn. Cut every adjective you can.

EpistolaryStructure

A story told through letters, texts, emails or documents.

Tip: What characters leave out of a message tells readers as much as what they write.

Reader-InsertStructure

Second-person fic ("you", Y/N) where the reader is a character.

Tip: Keep "you" lightly described so any reader can step in.

Missing SceneStructure

Fills a gap canon skipped: what happened off-page or between episodes.

Tip: Match canon tone closely; readers will compare it to the source.

Coffee Shop AUSetting

Canon characters as baristas and regulars in a modern café.

Tip: Let their canon roles shape the job: who owns it, who is always late.

Modern AUSetting

Fantasy or historical characters moved into the present day.

Tip: Translate conflicts, not just costumes. What is the modern version of their war?

Royalty AUSetting

Characters as princes, knights, courtiers or rival heirs.

Tip: Court politics give you built-in obstacles to any romance.

College AUSetting

Characters as students, roommates or rival classmates at university.

Tip: Anchor it in a real term structure: finals, breaks, deadlines.

Omegaverse (A/B/O)Setting

An alternate biology system with alpha, beta and omega dynamics; usually tagged and often mature.

Tip: Readers expect clear tags and warnings for this setting.

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• Scenario generator"How would they react if…" for any cast.
• Ship name generatorBlend two names into a portmanteau.
• Prompt generatorTrope + setting + twist, plus a daily prompt.
• Incorrect quotesChaotic Tumblr-style quotes for 1–6 characters.
• Dialogue studioVoice-true dialogue scenes on demand.
• Ship dynamicsThe classic dynamics and a ship analyser.
• OC generatorOriginal characters without Mary Sue traits.
• Backstory generatorThe wound, the lie and the secrets.
• AU generatorCoffee shop, fantasy, soulmate and more.
• OTP & angst prompt listsOTP, angst, fluff, dialogue and enemies-to-lovers prompts.
• Title generatorTitles that sound like fic, not a textbook.
• AO3 formatterPaste your draft, get clean AO3 HTML.