Conversations with a seven-year-old about stories. Also, tropes
Had a conversation with my niece last week about stories. We do talk about books pretty often, and writing - she was writing a book about thieves breaking into Buckingham Palace who got chased off by a T-rex. This was a bit different though, in that it felt more structural.
She asked me what sort of stories I liked. At least fifty percent of my brain was occupied with not saying "romance" and then having to explain what that is. I, a jaded adult, fell back on genres. "I like stories set in history," I said. "Hmmm," she said. I was about to return the question, this being the real purpose of her question, when she said, in a very seven-year-old withering way, "What I meant was what happens in stories you like?"
At least fifty percent of my brain was occupied with not saying "ah, you speak of tropes" and the other fifty percent was busy not saying "kissing" and having to explain either of those things. What I managed to come up with was, "I like when people have to team up and solve a problem or a mystery."
This was, in many ways, a complete lie. I hate mysteries. But I do like when people have to team up and solve a problem. Generally, two people, and the problem being, how do we kiss.
Most of the reason for that answer is I know this is what she likes. So she was able to happily agree and tell me all about what she'd read and what she thought and she directed me through a game about investigating a magical mystery portal at the end of the garden.
It's just interesting how intuitive this is. What we call genres and tropes (and LARP) is just life for kids.