Irl people can’t be categorised this easily to “nerds”, “popular person” or even bad and good person. That’s exactly what’s cliché. Do you think this combination is more common than just two “normal” people?
Sadly there are not many stories who really are realistic looking at the psychological/human perspective.
This is just another extreme example. Of course the clichés can happen, but they mostly don’t.
This is how bad characters are made. A human isn’t just a “category”. Not everyone fits in those categories and everyone’s different. Have you ever heard of “well developed characters”? Those mostly don’t just fit in those categories and act like the clichés expect them to.
I totally get that. It’s possible to write a good story without having to use a cliché and without having to write a completely unrealistic story.
I agree with that which I already said before, but I wouldn’t say it’s common, but that’s just my personal opinion.
Well if you write a story with two seemingly normal people then you won’t get reads lol. I don’t understand your argument. Everyone get’s categorized. Nerds and Popular kids are the most common and generalized high school categories. The more interesting the character the more interesting the story and the more interesting the story the more reads you’ll get. It’s simple.
That’s where you’re wrong. A stereotype is by definition a simple idea or characterization of a person. The Label “Nerd” and “Popular” are stereotypes. They take a person with their own quirks and personalities and place them in a category based on their bold traits that stand out more.
I have a feeling you’re misinterpreting my point despite the fact that I was very clear. The Nerd and Popular kid trope that’s CONSISTENTLY used in episode is common in real life too. As someone who’s been through school those are two categories that have been used since the 60’s. Of course boiling down someone there’s more to them than just being a nerd and popular, but it’s still a cliche to have a story portraying mediocre kids falling in love. I’m not saying people are identified by tropes, I’m not an idiot.
My other point is that people don’t want to read a story that doesn’t provide new information or insight to them. There are thousands of books out there already containing those two tropes so chances are writing a new one will never see the light. Why would someone go out of their way to read something they’re seen in their school hallways, experienced, and likely read about dozens of times?
Stereotypes are real and categories are used. Nerds and Popular kids are common and lack interest. I’d rather read about a girl who can shape-shift into a dragon and terrorize medieval cities with her fiery breath than a popular girl getting butterflies over a nerd in a highschool setting.
Fantasy, Science fiction, mystery, and adventure reach out to a more broader audience and will pay off more.
Plugging a disorder into a character to add interest is a cheap shot. It’s the same concept as having a token black friend just to make your story more diverse. Plot devices that uses diverse characters should be used with caution and written very well. I wouldn’t recommend that for your first time writing.
I really, really appreciate that you’re giving me information about what audiences on episode like to read. I want to actually create a unique and interesting story for the Drama section, but I’m not sure how to create special personalities for these characters because most of them have already been used.
It’s possible to write a good story without having to use a cliché and without having to write a completely unrealistic story.