Teaching Old Tropes, New Tricks: Reimagining the Familiar

Standing Out in a Sea of Similarity

Just prior to publishing this article, I read another interesting article on reimagining fairy tales. For those of you who enjoy doing that, I’ve linked the article, along with a few others, at the end.

We’ve all heard the saying: “it's all been done before”, or “there are no original stories, only original ways to tell them”. While this might sound discouraging at first, the art of writing lies in finding innovative ways to present familiar themes.

The challenge isn't coming up with something that's never been done—although BRAVO! if you do—it's about taking familiar elements and making them feel fresh and exciting again.

In my previous article: “Stand Out: A Query Intervention” I wrote the following advice:

Don’t Be Generic, Derivative or Tropey

An agent’s inbox is stuffed with similar stories. Paranormal romance, coming-of-age story, post-apocalyptic, the list goes on. Tell us what makes your book special in a crowded genre?

Be specific. If your protagonist is navigating the apocalypse, tell us why their story matters. Is it a unique setting? A moral dilemma? Make the stakes personal and fresh.

An agent needs to know Why this book? Have your query answer that question.

Yes, this is another article sparked by my submission queue; there are soooo many cookie-cutter stories in there right now.

While I don’t expect to see an end to the usual story tropes—the chosen one, enemies to lovers, small town with a dark secret (I give a longer list at the end)—I have been thinking of ways to better illustrate my point.

The key to standing out isn’t avoiding tropes altogether but reimagining them in ways that surprise, or challenge expectations. This also goes beyond story. Rethinking how content or information can be repurposed or presented in a new way—especially for non-fiction—can open up a whole new stream of ideas.

For example, Simon & Schuster did a series called Masters at Work. The series features various jobs and what it’s like behind the scenes of doing those jobs. The titles all start with Become A… The job topics range from common professions: Become A Real Estate Agent, A Hairstylist, A Yoga Instructor and range to more the more niche: Become A Crime Scene Investigator, Neurosurgeon, Ethical Hacker, and Climate Scientist.

I think this series is genius, and wish I had something like it in high school to help guide me toward a career. The best I had as a teen was my mom washing dishes, listening to me lament about having no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and simply saying, “Good luck with that.”

Then I read an article a few weeks ago, by children’s book author Ruth Spiro, which encompassed exactly what I’d been trying to convey. In 2010, Spiro read a New York Times article titled “Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children”, which reported that parents were bypassing picture books in favor of more "educational" content.

Instead of lamenting this shift, or contemplating the demise of her writing career, she saw an opportunity to combine board books and education. This idea led to her Baby Loves Science series—board books that introduce STEM concepts to infants and toddlers. She didn’t invent either concept, but instead put a fresh spin on them by merging two seemingly unrelated ideas.

Spiro goes on to talk about another series she created, in the vein of S&S’s Masters At Work:

Through social media and conversations with parents at book signings I gained insight into my young fans, learning they often develop an intense interest in a topic. We’ve all met that kid, the one who can name every dinosaur or describe how their favorite video game works—and will talk endlessly about it to anyone who will listen!

My next project became a picture book series inspired by that kid. How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up came out in 2023, followed by How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up and the latest, How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up. This new series is illustrated by Teresa Martinez, also a pro at translating complicated science ideas into kid-friendly, easily understandable art.

Spiro’s efforts reminds me of my author, Leah Elson, an incredibly intelligent and amazing scientist who endeavors to educate us regular people on the wonders of science by making it fun and interesting. Leah accomplishes this feat through her 60 Seconds of Science on Instagram and her book There Are No Stupid Questions…In Science, which she illustrated herself—in crayon.

By now you’re probably saying, “These aren’t the story tropes you talked about at the beginning of the article.” True, but it’s all the same premise of thinking outside the box and putting a new spin on an old trope – or topic—or the package in which its conveyed.

We’ll go back to your story now.

Ways to Put a New Spin on Tropes

If you’re working on a story and it feels like you’ve seen it all before, consider these strategies to change it up.

1. Flip the Expected Consequence

Instead of vampires burning in the sun (Dracula), Stephenie Meyer made them sparkle and capable of going out during the day (Twilight). Instead of superheroes being noble protectors, The Boys turned them into corrupt celebrities.

📌Take a well-known rule in your genre and ask: What if the opposite were true?

2. Merge Two Unrelated Ideas

Ruth Spiro combined board books with STEM concepts. Suzanne Collins merged reality TV with dystopian survival to create The Hunger Games.

📌Take two seemingly disconnected elements/genres/concepts and see what happens when you mash them together.

3. Tell the Story from an Unexpected Perspective

Gregory Maguire’s Wicked took The Wizard of Oz and told it from the villain’s point of view.

📌 Sometimes, the freshest take isn’t a new story—it’s a new perspective.

4. Look for Gaps in the Market

Just like Ruth Spiro saw a missing opportunity for educational board books, and learned things about her readers through social media, you can spot gaps in your genre.

📌 Read reviews, articles or posts on popular books and note common complaints: “I wish there were more X” or “I’m so tired of Y.” Those frustrations might be an opening for your next big idea.

5. Challenge Genre Expectations

Romance usually ends with a happily-ever-after—what if it ended with a satisfying but unexpected resolution? Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years positions itself as “an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.”

📌 Identify a common expectation in your genre. Now, brainstorm a way to subvert it while still making it emotionally satisfying.

Innovation not Reinvention

You don’t have to start from scratch to create something fresh. The examples above took something familiar and made it feel new again. Whether it’s flipping expectations, merging genres, or challenging market trends, originality comes from asking what if? and going beyond the obvious.

Like Ruth Spiro, your next great idea might come from reading an article, noticing a trend, or challenging the status quo. The stories we love most are the ones that take us somewhere unexpected.

What are your favorite examples of fresh takes on familiar tropes? Share in the comments!

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READ THE FULL ARTICLES HERE:

Ruth Spiro recently joined Substack. Say hello/subscribe here.

Ruth Spiro’s: My Scientific Method for Escaping the Slush Pile

My article: Stand Out: A Query Intervention

Pagan Alexadria’s: Pushing the Boundaries To Redefine Retellings

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10 common tropes across different genres:

1. The Chosen One

A seemingly ordinary character is secretly special and destined for greatness (Harry Potter, The Matrix).

2. Love Triangle

A protagonist must choose between two romantic interests, often embodying different values (Twilight, The Hunger Games).

3. The Reluctant Hero

The main character doesn’t want to be a hero but is forced into action (The Hobbit, Hunger Games).

4. Found Family

A group of misfits or strangers come together and form a deep bond (Guardians of the Galaxy, Six of Crows).

5. Enemies to Lovers

Two characters who start off as adversaries slowly fall in love (Pride and Prejudice, The Hating Game).

6. The Mentor’s Death

A wise guide helps the protagonist but dies, forcing them to grow on their own (Star Wars, The Lion King).

7. The Prophecy

A foretold event shapes the protagonist’s fate, often in an unexpected way (Percy Jackson, Dune).

8. The Secret Royalty

A character who believes they are ordinary turns out to be of noble or magical lineage (The Princess Diaries, Red Queen).

9. The Dystopian Rebellion

A young protagonist rises up against a corrupt system (The Hunger Games, Divergent).

10. The Last-Minute Save

Just when all hope seems lost, an unexpected ally or event turns the tide (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter).