Tropes Vs Cliches
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Knowing the difference between a trope and a chiche is important, as well as knowing the expectations that come with them. It’s important to do your research and know the story beats that are expected of the trope. Reading books that share tropes like yours is a great way to strengthen your understanding of your story and writing.
Tropes
Tropes reflect pre-existing genre archetypes. They're helpful to writers because they come from storytelling patterns that have worked well for generations. They can also be used to market books to readers. A common trend on sites like Instagram has been to post a mockup of your book with tropes surrounding it.
An example of some well known tropes in the romance genre would be: Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Surprise Pregnancy, Fake Dating, Forbidden Love, Love Triangle, and Second Chance.
Cliches
A cliché reflects patterns that are no longer effective, and can even be derogatory or damaging. Cliches can feel cringy, though that's not to say that you cant use cliches, you just have to add a twist to it to make it fresh again.
Sticking with the romance genre: an example of a cliche would be Love at First Sight. You can put a twist on this by making it Lust at First Sight. Where the two main love interests want one another physically, but are not confessing love for one another until much later.
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