Using Story Archetypes & Story Tropes to Frame Your Story
- Dec 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
What are story archetypes?
Story archetypes are universal patterns of characters, plots, or settings often found in narratives.
Because of our common instincts and life experiences as humans, we can easily recognise a story or character archetype as they're reused in popular narratives across generations.
Using these story archetypes when we write a film, TV series or micro drama for social media creates a sense of familiarity for the audience. They can easily understand what to expect from a particular story framework.
There are loads of different story archetypes like COMING OF AGE, FISH OUT OF WATER, and GOOD VS EVIL (also known as OVERCOMING THE MONSTER or DAVID & GOLIATH).
What do Cinderella, John Wick and The Devil Wears Prada have in common?
They all use a story archetype as the basis for their main character's journey.
Examine some of your favourite stories, films or TV series. Chances are you'll be able to identify which story template they're employing. For example, Cinderella is a rags to riches story, John Wick uses the revenge trope, while The Devil Wears Prada is a coming-of-age story.
How can you use archetypes to help craft & generate new concepts for screenwriting, TV writing or even content creation for social media?
By applying a story archetype to everyday events happening around us, we can quickly create a working concept. Once we have a blueprint for an idea, we can further develop and write the story.
Here's an example of taking something from real life and generating a new story concept by using story archetypes.
The Inspiration from Real Life:
A teen in my family started his first job at a trendy branded clothing store. He has zero interest in fashion and detests consumerist culture. But, he needs the money and the experience. Let's call our main character: Brad.
Possible Story Concepts:
You can use this as a springboard for a story that's packed with irony.
FISH OUT OF WATER:
Brad navigates the alien environment of fashion and buying *just* for fun.
But what happens next? We still need a STORY Let's try some different plots using story archetypes..
COMING OF AGE:
Despite Brad's initial contempt for fashion, he becomes the face of the brand, compromising his ideals for survival until he returns to his truth.
(E.g., Devil Wears Prada)
GOOD VS EVIL:
Unearthing the company's exploitative supply-chain, Brad battles big business & despite the odds, implements change for the better. (E.g., Erin Brokovich)
REDEMPTION:
A young scrooge (Brad) is won over by the spirit of Xmas, learns the power of friendship & wins the company's festive jumper competition. (E.g., Groundhog Day)
Which version do you prefer?
What's the difference between a story trope & a story archetype?
Many story tropes stem from story archetypes, but many others are more modern-day equivalents that can commonly be found in different kinds of story.
These tropes also set up expectations for the audience so they quickly recognize what kind of story or character is being presented.
Here are some popular story tropes:
Reluctant Hero
The Antihero
The Quest
The Chosen One
Good Vs Evil
Revenge
Rebirth/Redemption
Rags to Riches
Coming-of-Age
Fish out of Water
Return to Hometown
Small Town Secrets
Enemies to Lovers
Friends to Lovers
Forbidden Love
Love Triangle
Marriage/relationship of convenience
Which one will you use in your next project?
Story Inkubator was founded by writer, scriptwriter and teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. A teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria, Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity.
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