10 WORST TROPES IN PARANORMAL FICTION

HelloOoOo everybody!

I am talking about one of the spookiest genres and that is paranormal fiction. Specifically, I'm breaking down the shittiest paranormal tropes out there, and boy does this genre deliver! Let's get into these embarrassing paranormal tropes, shall we? I think we shall!

This video is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Number 1: “Hello? Is Someone There?”

Gotta love a dumbass who walks straight into danger without any common sense or survival instinct whatsoever.

“I think there might be a ghost in my scary, empty house, so I'm going to wander through the dark searching for it because that's the logical thing to do!”

“I've come into contact with a violent spirit, but I'm just gonna convince myself it didn't happen and stay in the exact same place where I almost got murdered.”

Paranormal fiction has some of the dumbest characters alive, and it is infuriating. If you want us to mourn their eventual death, at least make ‘em fight to stay alive!

Number 2: Sex

I don't have a problem with sex in fiction. In fact, a lot of the time, I enjoy it and even write it. What I don't understand is how paranormal fiction transitioned from dark and scary to dark and filled with penis. It's become a genre so intertwined with erotica that whenever you pick up a paranormal story, you pretty much have to assume it's gonna be filled with fucking. Call me crazy, but I like variety in my fiction. I miss reading about vampires that were horrifying and evil and didn't have raging boners. And I'm fine with sexy paranormal creatures and a little bit of boom-boom, but does it have to consume the entire genre? What if I feel like reading about the Mothman, and I don't want to see his moth dick? Where the hell am I even gonna find that?

Number 3: Alphas

How did anyone write werewolf fiction before alphas, betas, and omegas? Oh, right! They just wrote stuff that was scary, multi-dimensional, and fun to read! I forgot. I swear to God, every single werewolf book that comes out is about screwing the alpha wolf.

Taming the Alpha.

Taken by the Alpha.

Avoiding this Entire Genre Because of the Alpha.

I like werewolves! They are some of my favorite paranormal creatures, but this particular trend can die. We get it, he's a douchebag and he's in charge, and for some reason, people find this sexy. But the werewolf and Wolfman lore have so many different options that don't involve getting it on with a dog man, so methinks we can move past this.

Number 4: Ownership

Because slavery is sexy, right? *Crickets* Anyone? *Louder Crickets*

Anytime I see a book where a vampire or a werewolf owns a human being, I get uncomfortable. Sex slavery is a legitimate problem that ruins lives. Feels like a very tone-deaf choice to make, I'm just saying.

Number 5: Multi-Species Love Triangles

Will she choose the vampire or the werewolf? Will she choose the werehedgehog or the sloth shifter? Will she choose the electric toothbrush or the cucumber? Love triangles on their own are pretty annoying, but paranormal writers feel like they're spicing things up by making the romantic options different species. You can either have sex with an animal or the undead. What enticing options! How ever will I choose? This is made especially annoying by the fact that no one ever chooses polyamory. If you can't pick one creature over the other, fuck 'em both!

Number 6: One-Thousand-Year-Old Creature Dates a Sixteen-Year-Old Mouth-Breather

So he's an ancient pedophile...got it. I don't care if he looks 16, he is a thousand years old. His tastes should logically be way more refined. What could a teenage wet blanket offer to someone who has literally seen centuries of history? He's seen the rise and fall of civilization, but he totally wants to hear all about how Becky is such a bitch! This trope is special because it makes me scratch my head and puke in my mouth all at the same time!

Number 7: “Get Away From Me Before You Get Hurt!”

“I'm a monster! Dark and mysterious, unlike my eyes–a blazing blue. I keep to the shadows and avoid attention at all costs. You can tell because I'm always shirtless. You don't want to mess with me; you'll only get hurt, either by my animalistic instincts or my enemies. But I'm still going to stalk you and have sex with you because hypocrisy is my only character trait!”

This is the least believable paranormal trope because I don't know any woman who would go for it. If a man says I should run, I'm gonna run. He doesn't even have to tell me to run. I'll probably do it anyway. If any man approaches me in the middle of the night, best believe I've already got my pepper spray ready.

Number 8: Google Solves ALL of Our Problems

Really? Just like that? Look, research is important. However, I don't know if you've noticed, but the Internet is filled with all kinds of information...and a lot of it is false. But your characters somehow managed to find the perfect website in an instant and it happens to have the answers to all of their questions. Sounds fake, but okay! Not only is this about as believable as my last point, it's not interesting! Stories thrive on conflict. Characters are supposed to try and fail. Giving them all the answers they need in one quick Google search is a cop-out.

Number 9: We’re Not Vampires, I Swear!

Instead of vampires, they're called blood walkers. Instead of zombies, they're called infected. Why can't you just call ‘em what they are? Writers often do this for one of two reasons. One, you're trying to be fancy because you're above the genre. Spoiler, you're not above anything, ya pretentious rat bastard! And two, you're embarrassed. You don't want to admit that you're writing vampires and werewolves. If you're embarrassed by your own genre, you probably need to stop and assess that on your own time. Don't make readers suffer just ‘cause you're insecure.

Number 10: “One of Us! One of Us!”

Your female heroine has been a shifter her whole life and never knew it...until now because conveniently, her abilities didn’t pop up until some arbitrary event like her 16th birthday or the full moon. I'd wager there have been many full moons throughout her lifetime, but this one is different...’cause reasons! I love a good reveal or twist, but you gotta give a believable reason as to why the character had no idea what their species was until now. The birthday excuse isn't cuttin’ it anymore. Nothing special happens on your 16th birthday except for maybe hormonal acne.

AND BONUS!

Number 11: Bears

What the hell is with all the bears? Of all the shifters possible, the community has rallied around bears. Why? I don't get it! Am I supposed to find bears sexy? If anyone wants to explain this to me, I prefer you didn't, ‘cause I don't think I wanna know.

So that's all I've got for you today!

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