Stereotypes 101 is a way for me to blow off some steam caused by the frustrating stereotypes that frequent my pages. Seriously, no amount of insecticide can get rid of these overused ideas.
How do you love? I have only met a handful of books that don’t have romance. While romance isn’t bad, an influx of it at every instance, is annoying. These stereotypes make me wonder if love is even real. (Kidding, have you seen the way I look at my copy of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?)
Tip: don’t try these archetypal love scenarios. They only work in fiction. But if they work for you, you are a fictional character. Congrats!
Instalove
Love at first sight is the least original way to fall in love. Good for the books that can pull it off. There are very few ways this archetype can been used successfully and it’s very tricky. I would love to see a slow burn romance, to make romance a meaningful element in the story. Show me how they bond and what makes them get along so well. None of this skin-deep love.
Books That Discard It: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
love triangles
Twilight, thanks for this. Why is it fun to watch two guys fight over a girl? I find it so cringeworthy. Imagine trying to pick between the two guys. This is the stuff for sitcoms. For the sake of originality, let this idea go missing this year.
love heals mental illness
Protagonist has a mental illness but as soon as she finds love, she’s much better. When love interest isn’t around, her mental illness plagues here again. LOVE ISN’T A FIX. Repeat after me, NEVER A FIX. Mental illness is not a switch. It creeps up on you in any and every circumstance. Misleading people- especially those who struggle with a mental illness- to think that love is a solution is very shitty.
Books That Discard It: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Love In the Time of Cancer
On the same thought lines as “love heals mental illness”, I find so many books with cancer-diagnosed protagonists that add a love interest to the mix just because it’ll progress the plot. Why?! It’s an easier way to tell a story but c’mon, there are so many ways to look at the protagonist’s story, and their life as an individual. Stop using love to ease the pain. Confront it.
Books that Discard It: My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Do any cliched scenarios of fictional romance plague your pages? Vent in the comments!
Literary Head 
I agree with all of these! Especially love “healing” mental illness. *rolls eyes* I also hate the trope where an ancient immortal man falls in love with a young, weak mortal girl. Give me a break!
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Urgh, the ancient immortal man in love with the young mortal is the creepiest! *shudders*
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I actually like instalove but it has to be written correctly ahaha!
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Haha, I must be fictional because I definitely am guilty of one of these in real life – a love triangle! I’m sure you’ve likely read about it before, but if not, to refresh your memory, during high school I ended up falling for the guy my best friend was dating. She was very… open-minded about many things so actually encouraged me to date him while they were still together. I didn’t want to because allowing a guy to date two girls at once seems a bit off and I don’t like sharing, but I couldn’t ignore my feelings so dived right in. I think I gave him an ultimatum so within three months he had to choose between us two, and he chose me. It obviously caused a rift in my friendship at the time, but we mended that not too long after and that guy and I were together for several years and almost got married. So yeah, love triangle person here!
Though hey, even if I’ve been in one, I still do definitely agree that they’re overdone. I’d prefer if they’re going to do it they at least start adding some variety or make it more believable as a friendship that has grown into a relationship instead of the main one suddenly falling in love with person two while still with person one. 😛
I definitely agree with the mental illness one. Love doesn’t heal mental illness, for sure. Really, in many ways love can become even harder with mental illness, as even those butterflies get obscured by the clouds at times. The other person can love and support you through it, for sure, but the other person being your only way through it? Not so much.
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Oh wow, I really like how you handled that! Yess relationships that spring up from nowhere are so weak in writing. I really love well-developed relationships and seeing those just melt my heart.
“As those butterflies get obscured by clouds at times” THISSS. Some people dealing with mental health who are single (pointing to me here) sometimes believe that things would be much easier if they were in a romantic relationship which is just their brain’s way to comfort them.
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Oh, you’re definitely not alone! I pursued Dave during my weakest moment because part of me was like “there’s no way I can do this alone, I need SOMEONE to help me”. And he luckily did help, but I’ve still been a mess ever since. And really, it didn’t have to be a romantic partner in order to get the help I was looking for. I honestly think I could’ve benefitted the same if I just put my effort into a friendship. It was more the thought that I needed someone who I knew would be there for me and also accept me for the work-in-progress I am. Friends are just as capable of that.
(And, you know, I’m a friend. So don’t ever hesitate to reach out <3)
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