15 Teenager Tropes We’re All Guilty Of

Now, I know I did a similar list to this a while back about teenager clichés to avoid. But, seeing as I’m STILL a teenager, I thought I’d bring up a couple tropes that I, and many other authors, use when writing about teens. (Warning, comedy ahead.)

  1. HORMONES, HORMONES, HORMONES! “I was walking in the hallway when I saw (insert hot quarterback/ cheerleader here). Oh… they were I imagined things. And stuff. And so many, many things and stuff.
  2. Ugh, my mom/dad/guardian figure was such a (insert insult here)! I can’t WAIT until I move out of this town/ house/ city. NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME!
  3. I hate high school. Oh, how I hate high school. DID I MENTION HIGH SCHOOL SUCKS AND I AM COMPLETELY ABOVE IT? RELATE WITH ME!
  4. Teen never actually goes to school. Sure, the character goes to class during one scene. Then, for the rest of the book, high school just sort of magically disappears in the background and the teen character seems to only attend wild parties and vampire outing clubs. Grades just happen.
  5. Teenager is effortlessly smart without trying.
  6. Teenager is a teen-gone-wild.
  7. Teenager is so hopelessly average at everything that everyone and anyone who is a teen will relate to this character.
  8. Teenager, despite having no outstanding qualities, seems to draw attention from all the popular people. (Wishful thinking here?)
  9. Teenager wants to be popular and stabs all loved ones/ best friends in the back to get it.
  10. Teenager is suspiciously hipster and drinks aged coffee and only listens to REAL music from the past, not nowadays. Pfft, you mediocre, modern-loving loser!
  11. Teenager is a snarky snark just to be snarky and have one-liners. At least I have a brain! (ba-dum-cha)
  12. Teenager is suspiciously relatable. This teenager also feels like they don’t belong. Nobody understands them. Their parents never allow them to do anything. Why can’t I just fit in? Everybody around me is so fake. The only one who understands me is my one cool teacher. I’M SO ALONE!!!
  13. Teenager is a vampire/ werewolf/ ghost / witch / warlock/ superspy / double-life-leader in disguise.
  14. Teenager parties way more than actual teenagers do. SERIOUSLY, WHO PARTIES ON A WEDNESDAY?
  15. The football team is life now. Hush. Just go with it.

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