TROGDOR'S MONDAY THOUGHTS #17

Being a writer, even an amateur one like myself, is more than just committing words to a page. It's about finding one's voice, the unique way that you specifically express yourself thoughts and ideas, regardless of the subject matter. My story about breasts that never stop growing will read differently than anyone else's.

But within that development, habits and patterns begin to form. Like wheel ruts worn into a dirt road, certain aspects of one's writing style will repeat, to the point of becoming a meme. This could be certain, words, settings, themes, expressions.

All writers have them to some degree:

Stephen King's works are predominantly set in Maine.

Brian Jacques really, really loved to write about feasts.

J.K. Rowling often had her climaxes resolved by the use of a Deus Ex Machina magical artifact/spell.

John Grisham novels typically follow the premise of a young lawyer who discovers a conspiracy.

Dan Brown loves to use the phrase "His heart pounded" or "Stopped Dead in his tracks"

Brandon Sanderson characters frequently emote by "Raising an eyebrow"

None of these are bad things, they're just signatures of an author's style. I would say its safe to assume that there's no underlying reason why these choices are made during their creative process beyond that they simply like it.

I am curious, however, how aware they are of these tropes. I'm even more curious to know if I have any trademark patterns!

Are there certain words, phrases, expressions, themes that turn up repeatedly within my library of work to the point of being overtly noticeable? I would honestly love to know if there's a specific detail that when you read it, it makes you think "Aha, yup, of course there's ____ in a Trogdor story!"

I'm eager to hear what you all think!

-TROGDOR297