WELCOME TO THE ID.
The Oxford dictionary defines the id as “the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest.” In a nutshell, the id is all about subconscious instincts, drives, desires. We might not think about them, but they’re there… and they’re strong.
Id and tropes.
If you write commercial fiction, you should be familiar with the term “trope.”
These days, it means a commonly used plot device, type of character, or micro-genre. It is usually very popular, and with good reason. For example, in romance there is the “black cat/golden retriever” trope, where one character is grumpy or hostile, the other sunshiny and optimistic. In action movies, there is the “prisons are gymnasiums” trope, where a character uses horrible circumstances (or actual prison time) as a means of growth. The Cinderella or makeover trope has been showcased in everything from Pretty Woman to Rocky.
Aren’t tropes bad?
No.
Many writers equate “trope” with “cliché” and sneer at it, or deliberately try to avoid, deconstruct, or “elevate” them.
The problem isn’t with the trope, though. The problem is lazy writing.
The reasons tropes exist and are so often repeated are because they satisfy the id. Not every trope satisfies every id, granted, but when you hit the right combination, it hits on a primal level.
Commercial fiction caters to an emotional experience – the more emotional, the better, with the type of emotion dictated by the genre.
Horror readers want to feel afraid. Romance readers want the butterflies and swooning of falling in love. Mystery readers want the satisfaction of accomplishment, solving the crime.
You can use these compulsive, almost Pavlovian emotional experiences to make your fiction addictive.
If you are simply scratching the surface of the trope, copying previous writers’ efforts, adding no nuance or depth, then yes, you’re going to have clichés and stereotypes. Using tropes doesn’t excuse you from doing the hard work of writing.
But if you think that tropes should be altered to the point where the emotional satisfaction is drained, or if you abandon tropes altogether? As a commercial writer, you’re ignoring one of the most powerful tools in your box, at your own peril.
Your “id list.”
I first became acquainted with this concept at the Romance Author Mastermind in 2022. (For the record, romance is one of the best genres to follow when it comes to industry innovation, both in the mechanics of publishing and especially trends in marketing. They dominate sales by sheer numbers for a reason.)
Dr. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a psychologist, cognitive therapist, and NYT bestselling author, developed the “id list” principle for writers. We’re readers first, after all. We tend to have characters, premises, settings, and “other details” (I’d call them “micro-tropes” myself) that we find ourselves drawn to, enjoying them in the work of others as well as incorporating them into our own.
Make your own lists.
What settings do you like? They can be specific, like “Upstate New York” or “Chicago” or general, like “post-apocalyptic swamps” or “big cities.”
What sort of characters do you like? Do you love badass female main characters? Grumpy male main characters? Robots searching for humanity? Anti-heroes who are redeemed? Anti-heroes who aren’t?
Premises: do you enjoy twisty thrillers, the more red herrings the better? Quiet women’s fiction where characters of a certain age get a fresh start? Cozy mysteries with quirky amateur sleuths?
Finally, micro-tropes, or other details. For example, I love to read about, and write about, found families – the groups of friends who are closer than blood, who are loyal and supportive. You can find this in anything from Friends to The Fast and the Furious.
Other micro-tropes can be specific situations… the villain finally and dramatically getting his comeuppance; two love interests are at a hotel and but it’s booked and there’s only one bed left; families are reunited.
Make your lists. They’re going to be valuable.
How much is too much?
According to T. Taylor, there’s no such thing as “too much.”
She’s the author of Seven Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE. While the title might seem hyperbolic, the content packs a punch, in a very conversational tone.
She calls these tropes, micro-tropes, and id bait Universal Fantasies, or “butter.” (Because butter makes everything better, you see?) She also suggests that you basically add it to everything, and explains how to do exactly that.
What you love to write = what they love to read.
Your id list, your “butter,” won’t match everyone else’s. That’s good. It shouldn’t. Because “one size fits all” really doesn’t fit anyone.
You’re looking for for your super fans. Loyal readers.
The things you love will be exactly what they’re looking for, in a visceral, unconscious way. Your id lists contents and tropes? That’s the secret handshake between you and your readers.
You can’t game this… or you can, but you shouldn’t. This is finding the sweet spot between what readers want and what you’re passionate about, and tropes and ultimate fantasies are the key.
So your homework: make your id list!