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The Surprise Child Trope: How to Piss off Your Readers and Viewers

Posted on October 17, 2023 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Readers and viewers come with a variety of tastes when it comes to tropes. Some people hate love triangles; some love them. And many readers live for the friends-to-lovers; others avoid them when they can.

But there’s one trope that I have never seen anyone talk highly about: It’s the surprise/secret child trope. You follow a TV series or a book (series), and suddenly there’s a child or a teenager that the main character (or a significant character that heavily impacts the main character) has had. Oops. Now the audience has to sit back and watch all the conflicts unfold, all because of a kid we never signed up for.

There is nothing wrong with writing about characters who are parents. But if we suddenly have to deal with a child that comes out of nowhere after 5 or more seasons (or books), we start to complain.

Here, I’m going to remind you how certain shows lost or lowered their appeal, and two shows that did it right and how.

Note: Please note that this post contains affiliate links. It’s no extra cost to you, but I do make a little if you buy through them.

Spoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers about Buffy, Gilmore Girls, Lucifer, Ally McBeal, and Virgin River.

Let’s start with a good example.

Grandfathered starring John Stamos and Josh Peck

While it only aired for one season, this Stamos comedy was a sweet and fun one. A handsome, successful, and happily single restaurant owner gets a double shock when the adult son he didn’t know he had shows up with his granddaughter.

It’s a fun concept and a welcome twist on the good old trope. And the best part? We were ready for it as an audience.

Where the fandoms didn’t welcome the surprise child.

Buffy starring Sarah Michelle Gellar

Here we are, happy Buffy fans until season 5, knowing that our favorite vampire slayer is an only child… until there is suddenly a teenager and she’s Buffy’s sister. And she has been Buffy’s sister this whole time.

Technically, Buffy’s mother is not blindsided by the sudden existence of her child. Neither is Buffy. It’s only the audience.

Buffy is a supernatural show. We can accept a lot of things. But of all the things Buffy fans disagree about (“Angel or Spike?”, “Is Riley an undeserving man unworthy of Buffy or is he a decent guy who dealt with the crazy world the best he could? ”, etc.), there is one consensus. I never heard a Buffy fan happy about the arrival of Dawn.

Gilmore Girls starring Lauren Graham

I love this show. I resisted it for a long time because everyone seemed to love it, and I didn’t think it could be that good. I was wrong. It really is that good. Except season 6. I’d like to pretend Season 6, from episode 9, never happened. Because you guessed it, the main male character of the show, our beloved TV boyfriend Luke Danes got a 12-year-old daughter. And both a character and a romance for the ages were ruined.

But first, let’s give a short recap for those of you who never watched the show:

Lorelai is an independent, fast-talking, gorgeous single mother in her early 30s. She manages the hotel in the small town Sleepy Hollow and raises her book-smart and pretty teenager Rory. The two are more besties than mother and daughter. However, the picture-perfect life Lorelai built here will be disturbed when Lorelai has to ask her estranged parents for money so that she can send Rory to her dream school.

There are many storylines, character arcs, and relationships we don’t see eye to eye as GG fans. But we do agree that Luke Danes is awesome.

Luke owns and runs the diner in town, which is his dream job. He’s handsome, honest, dependable, and fun in his own way. Luke is so well-written and portrayed that he almost seems more real than other men we see on TV.

It takes a long time for Lorelai and Luke to get together. Like four entire seasons. Then we still have to wait a bit more for the first official date. But when the romance starts, we are thrilled. These two are made for each other.

And the proposal scene in season 5, as well Luke’s reaction… Well, I think I watched it like a hundred times. Cuteness overload.

And then during season 6, we get a child, and it all goes to hell from there. I have nothing against the child herself as a character. While I’d rather Luke never had a kid, she is okay. It’s the man/fiancé Luke turns into that I hate.

He neglects Lorelai so badly that she goes nuclear when she ends it. And I don’t blame her one bit. She hung on a lot longer than I’d have, and she only did because this was Luke.

Don’t worry, they fix things in season 7. But man, what an unnecessary bumpy ride we didn’t need.

The reason Luke gets no sympathy from us is he had no excuse. His daughter wasn’t problematic. She wasn’t terminally ill. She got along fine with Lorelai. Lorelai was also sweet and welcoming.

I’d like to pretend Luke was temporarily replaced by an alien or android. If GG had a fight club, the first rule would be we hate season 6 Luke.

Ally McBeal starring Calista Flockhart

Ally McBeal will always have a special place in my heart. I was supposed to be studying for college entrance exams, but had a bunch of health issues so I watched a lot of series. One of my favorites was this quirky comedy drama, and to this day it remains one of the quirkiest, most fun shows I’ve seen.

Ally is a young lawyer who accidentally ends up working at the same company as her college boyfriend Billy and his wife while Ally not being the quirkiest character… You just need to watch it. The show was David E. Kelley, who has a track record of creating addictive legal comedies and dramas.

But if I had to choose my least favorite Ally McBeal storyline, the award goes to season 5 (the show’s last season) where a 10-year-old shows up at Ally’s door and says she’s her daughter. Turns out, Ally joined a fertility study, they made a mistake, and when the girl’s father died, she came looking.

Now, in one episode, Ally decided she was meant to be a mother. One episode. What???

Though not at the same level as Gilmore Girls, I am still not sure a daughter was the be-all-end-all solution to all of Ally’s problems. It’s like almost impossible for a woman to find what makes her complete without a romantic partner or a kid. (Eye roll.)

Oh well. At least season 5 had James Marsden, Josh Hopkins, Regina Hall, Jon Bon Jovi, and Tim DeKay as guest stars.

Lucifer starring Tom Ellis

Based on the DC comics Lucifer, Lucifer has one of the most fun concepts ever: The devil gets bored in hell, and moves to Los Angeles where he runs a piano bar and assists the LAPD with solving murders. Tom Ellis is never anything less than perfect as Lucifer. And while some storylines, seasons, and character developments are more interesting than others, he is always a joy to watch. The song and dance numbers on the show are also priceless.

What sets Lucifer apart from other in(famous) comic characters is that he never tries to hide his identity. He tells everyone he’s the devil and no one believes him, which adds more hilarity.

So while I recommend anyone give Lucifer a try, I am also not going to insist you watch season 6. In episode 2, we meet a petulant young adult from hell. With wings. In episode 3, we find out – along with Lucifer – that she is his daughter.

What????? Why?

The rest of the storyline is hazy because I never could give my full attention after this. As you know, this is not my first surprise child character.

I prefer Lucifer’s episodic stories over serial ones because serial stories usually get more convoluted as they try to up previous seasons.

A neutral example: Virgin River starring Alexandra Breckenridge

While I don’t watch shows eagerly waiting for a surprise child to turn up, Virgin River’s use of the trope didn’t bother me. For one thing, “the child” didn’t belong to Mel or Jack, our main characters.

At the end of season 3, a handsome college-aged guy named Denny walked into the town’s B&B and declared he was looking for his grandfather, the town doctor.

Since then, Denny’s been a regular on the show. While initially he has a secret, his presence didn’t hurt Doc’s relationships. It didn’t cause a personality change. Denny was a likable character on his own.

When should you consider using this trope?

I believe as a writer you should be able to write whatever you want. Because you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) spend months laboring over something you aren’t excited about. So while I am not a fan of this trope in most cases, only you can know if your story needs it.

You should also consider your target market. If you have asked your readers and they seem to love and expect this trope, then you have nothing to worry about.

Just like any trope, you can make a decision by asking yourself some vital questions.

Does this trope work for my genre, particularly for this story?
How does my audience feel about this trope?
Does this reveal (of the surprise child) feel organic, or was I really just looking for an easy way to create conflict?
Am I staying true to my characters when I write their reactions?
Do I have a fresh, or a lesser-used take on this?

There you have it. What about you? Which surprise child reveal annoys you to no end?

The book or the movie? That’s the question.

Posted on September 7, 2023 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Note: I use affiliate links in this post. If you buy through them, it’s no extra cost to you, but I make a little money, which goes toward running this blog.

I have a confession to make. I don’t always prefer the book. Sometimes, the movie adaptation works fine. You know, when I haven’t read the book first.

I don’t plan it that way. I am just as much into watching movies as I am into reading books. I add a movie to my watchlist or just start watching and then find out it’s based on a book. If I’m already excited about the film, I’m not going to wait until I read the book.

So I watch the movie. And if I really like it, I hunt down the book. This makes disappointment less likely since at this point I’ll have read an article or two about how different these two works of art are. And I won’t be disappointed with the casting – I will just imagine the actors as the leads.

You never know. Sometimes, the movie will have changed things for the better and you won’t enjoy the book. Sometimes, the changes will have worked fine for the medium, and both will give you a lot of joy (Looking at you Red, White, and Royal Blue. (aff.link))

On the other hand, I can’t say the same about Cold Mountain (aff. link). It’s a visual feast. I can’t find fault with it. But I couldn’t get through the novel for some reason.

When did I hate a movie adaptation? Runaway Jury.

Hear me out. Had I not read the novel first (aff.link) – which happens to be one of my favorite novels ever – I would have loved that film. The cast and genre alone would have lured me in. But they changed the core of the novel. A fascinating case against the big tobacco became a gun violence thing.

And… look, I get how more visually impressive (and emotionally more touching and more mainstream ) this decision is. The problem? I loved the plot and the twists and the characters specifically because it was a big tobacco case. And I feel like we have enough great and moving movies about guns. Why couldn’t I have this one? (If you have seen and read Runaway Jury let me know what you think.)

Then there are movie adaptations that are enjoyable enough, if not as memorable as the novels. Two Sophie Kinsella adaptations come to mind: Confessions of a Shopaholic (starring Isla Fisher) and Can You Keep A Secret? (starring Alessandra Daddario). If I had to pick one, I’d pick the novel. But the movies are pleasant experiences and I am glad they exist.

Everyone’s experiences will be different based on taste and expectations. If you hated the adaptation, you’re right. If you loved it, you are right. 🙂

What about you? Which adaptations did you love? Which ones do you hate? Let me know! 🙂

Life is Stranger Than Fiction: Why You Can and Should Write Freely

Posted on August 18, 2023 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I’ve been creating fiction for a long time. Like, for over two decades now. (I started early.)

While I cared about laws of physics since I wrote romantic comedies and dramas set in the real world, I left everything else to my imagination. Now, there was logic involved.

When Greg drove a Jaguar in my romcom novel A Change Would Do You Good, I made sure the audience knew he was a star in his field and at his company. He was the boss’s favorite and made a lot of money. So no one questioned his living standards.

But no matter how much reality you infuse into your fiction, someone will offer a piece of unwarranted criticism, which is fine.

Not all of the unwarranted criticisms come from a mean place. Your readers have different life experiences. Not to mention, our levels of suspension of disbelief differ. When I watch a movie/series with teenagers, I am fine with young adults acting younger than their age. I mean, who is going to say Michael J. Fox can’t/couldn’t pass for a high schooler in Back to the Future? Come on, I dare ya. 🙂

Still, not all Friends lovers (and haters) are convinced Monica could afford her Manhattan apartment. To that, I say:

Rent control
Occasionally great-paying jobs as a chef
Upper-middle-class parents
Happy-to-lend-money brother
Well-earning bestie (Chandler)

Those five points are mentioned in the show. At this point, if you don’t believe she could survive living there, maybe you aren’t into fiction.

One time, a friend reading A Change Would Do You Good (the story featuring our Jaguar-driving friend Greg from above) told me everyone in the story was good-looking, and that didn’t seem believable.

All my recurring characters are either really hot or attractive in their own way. Except for Linda in the beginning, because she has let herself go. However, she also gives herself a makeover and a confidence boost. And don’t worry, there’s no glass removal involved. Just a woman dressing better and losing the extra weight (and by that, I mean her incompatible boyfriend).

What are the odds of so many people being attractive? Without context, it sounds like a writer just pulling stuff out of her butt, I’ll admit.:))

But here’s the context:

This story is set in California. Some characters are from L.A., where there’s a lot of pressure to look good. I’ve been to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. I don’t remember seeing a lot of average-looking people.

I looked fantastic too. I made an effort. It was my first time being abroad, and it was Cali, so I wasn’t just going to roll out of bed and not care.

Here’s even more context:

Janie, the main character, is a fashion designer. She knows how to look good.

Kevin, the male main character and Janie’s love interest is a pro surfer. Sports is his idea of fun. He is hot. And yes, it matters to the plot. And remember, this is a romcom drama. How many romcoms have you read or watched where the leads are just meh?

Kevin’s best friends are surfers and they also take amazing care of themselves. This is also not just a superficial afterthought either. This is a tight group of people who are extremely competitive at everything, and they have made a career in the one thing they love most in the world. They are healthy, successful, confident, and radiant. It’d be unusual if they weren’t considered hot.

(If you are wondering how such a happy group will have trouble in life… Well, Kevin has never been in love. He doesn’t even believe in romantic love. Janie’s grieving the death of the guy she thought she’d be with forever. So when they meet, sparks fly, and world views clash… So, don’t worry. The conflicts are strong with this neighbors to lovers/haters to lovers duo.)

Greg is a psychiatrist. He cares deeply about mental and physical health. Just doing what’s good for your body and soul alone will make a big difference in how good you look.

Ben is literally a model.

But what are the odds of them coming together and all the chaos?

Anytime you put an ensemble together and have them experience hilarious (mis)adventures, someone is bound to ask: But what are the odds?

It’s a great and valid question. Luckily, I’ve got the answer for you:

Highly likely, because life is stranger than fiction.

When I was in college, I did two terms abroad in Halden, Norway as an international student. Here’s a very short snippet of what life was like:

Once, a German neighbor opened the door with a chainsaw in hand. (He’s a great guy. We were a weird bunch.)
The neighbors of a Chinese student didn’t like his housekeeping (or behavior), so they put his bike on the roof of their two-story house.
My Austrian neighbor hated my Hungarian neighbor’s kitchen habits, so he threw all of his kitchen stuff out of the window.
My Russian and Norwegian neighbors, both with notoriously bad memories, met, forgot meeting, and introduced themselves to each other again after a year. They didn’t notice each other for months, even though they lived in a small two-story house with just 6 other people.
My German neighbor with the chainsaw once carved a wooden stake for me in 5 minutes because I wanted to go to the Halloween party as Buffy.
All the guys came together and skied off the roofs. For fun.

That’s real life for you. So any time I’m tempted to dismiss a storyline as unlikely, I think back and laugh.

Life is, and probably will always be stranger than fiction. Just think about what we have been through in the world in the last 3 years.

By all means, mind your plot holes. Check your facts. But write what you want. Because chances are, stuff way weirder already happened.

Movies with Writer Protagonists: Book of Love starring Sam Claflin

Posted on August 14, 2023 Written by Pinar Tarhan

In this fun and sweet romcom from 2022, we don’t have one but two writer characters.

Let’s get the plot summary out of the way; then we will go over why Book of Love (aff.link) is a must-watch for romance writers.

Plot Summary for Book of Love (with minor spoilers)

Henry Copper (Sam Claflin) is an English author scheduled to give interviews in Mexico due to the success of his book there. There, he’s welcomed by his translator Maria (Verónica Echegui), her young son, and her father.

Comedy and conflicts start when Henry realizes that while translating, Maria has essentially turned his story into erotica, creating the sort of fan base he’s in no way ready or willing to deal with.
But as his Mexican publisher puts it, it’s simple: either he accepts the cash and popularity or he goes back home, disappointing readers. Henry and Maria tolerate each other until they realize the other person is a lot more charming and impressive than they initially thought, and sparks start flying.

But just getting over their differences isn’t enough: They are forced to write a book together and Maria’s estranged husband will stop at nothing to stop this blossoming attraction. Can these two get a book-worthy happy ending?

Book of Love’s Writer Characters

And now, there will be more spoilers. You might want to watch the movie and come back.

At first, I was on Henry’s side. OK, I never really left Henry’s side. I just understood and empathized with Maria about certain aspects.

I am a writer after all. My stories are dear to my heart. Hell, who am I kidding? They are my babies. They’re personal and they take a lot of effort from coming up with the premise to seeing through final edits. And after that, you have to work even harder because now people have to hear about it.

I’d be shocked and pissed if I found out a translator just wrote almost a completely different book.
Frankly, I think Henry took it better than I’d have.

But, and this is an important but, Maria caused something very important: money and popularity (as in lots of sales and devoted – albeit slightly crazy fans).

Money and popularity matter because they bring power and options. Flexibility. The freedom to write things you love.

So like Henry, I’d eventually suck it up and play the game. And hey, the romance between two smart, sweet, and sexy creatives? More than welcome.

What can I say? I am a romantic I mean, hello, I’m a romcom author who writes happily-ever-after endings. I even wrote a guide on how to write the ultimate non-tragic romance.

Romance Tropes of Book of Love

Haters to lovers
Opposites attract
Close proximity

Co-Writing

This is a bit tricky. You need to share a similar vision for the future of the story. You need to like each other as people.

If you get on each other’s nerves, it’ll become a bit of a nightmare. Writing, like all professions and activities, has ups and downs. And it can get difficult, complicated, and frustrating. But at its core, it should be a labor of love. And you can’t co-create if you are miserable. (Or is it just me?)

Luckily, our characters from the film work things out. And I wouldn’t say no to working with a cute, romantic Brit. (Yes, you got me. I’ve been crushing on Sam Claflin since he appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. (aff.link))

My Writer Characters

I love writer characters on the page and screen. I feel seen. And I definitely relate. Unless the character is a total jerk, that is. In addition to dedicating an entire category on this blog to fictional writers, I sometimes feature writer characters in my novels as well.

In my New York-set romcom Making A Difference (M.A.D.) (aff.link), novelist Colin initially self-publishes only to find success after Zoe, a talented publicist, stumbles upon his book. Sparks fly, but their blossoming romance is threatened big time when Zoe’s offered a job to work with her mentor, humanitarian Jay Clark. How can a guy compete with someone who’s actively making the world a better place?

Jay’s sister, Angie, is a free-spirited rock journalist. So you‘ve got two important (supporting) writer characters in Making A Difference (M.A.D).

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How do you feel about writing characters? What are your favorite books, movies, and series with writers?

Note: This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost anything for you, but I do earn a little something when you buy something through them.