Some might call these cliches, but I decided to go with a less derisive title. So what are tropes? They’re things that happen over and over again in stories — and yes, sometimes to the point of being cliches that you should avoid. But tropes are tropes for a reason. People like to read certain things, and so those things get repeated in lots of stories. Here’s a list of some of the most common ones in hanfic.

I’ve compiled this list on my own, although I did solicit help from my friends and consulted lists made by others through the years, so I do have to say thanks to those people — namely, Amber, Dot, Elizabeth, Michelle, Renee C and Renee P. I also included some cliches from a list compiled on the old alt.fan.hanson group, as well as these old websites.

The tropes are divided into a couple different categories to make the list easier to read.

For more information on what tropes Hanson fans seem to like best, check out my analysis of the survey I did on just that subject!

Titles

• one word, catchy title
• story or chapter titles come from song titles/lyrics (usually Hanson songs)
• includes “Tulsa” or another location

 

Characters

Original Characters

• main character is best friends with Hanson; their parents are best friends too
• main character considers one or more Hanson brothers their “enemy”
• female characters have really crazy, unique names and eccentric personalities
• main character is in an abusive family/relationship
• significantly older than the brother she dates
• isn’t a Hanson fan and is won over by them
• best friends date the brothers
• meets a Hanson accidentally (car wreck, literally running into them, etc)
• talented, usually a singer as well or a writer
• very rich but ignored by parents or has a tragic past
• hired as a babysitter, tutor, tour assistant, etc
• moves to Tulsa because of parents’ job, divorce, etc
• also homeschooled, often in a program with the brothers
• shares a name with the author or friends of the author
• is orphaned or otherwise sent away from family to live with Hanson
• female characters are usually blonde

 

Isaac

• the boring, fatherly type that is rarely mentioned and usually forgotten
• acts like an older brother to his brothers’ girlfriends
• romantic/girl crazy/horny/ladies man
• Kermit impression and other cheesy jokes mentioned often
• often interrupts the “action”
• never has a girlfriend or has been with the same girl for years
• is horrified by or overlooks what’s happening between his brothers–no inbetween
• has to escort his brothers everywhere

 

Taylor

• the screwed up heartthrob
• overly emotional and/or serious diva
• gets mistaken for a girl
• red jellybean obsession
• very “fashionable” or mocked for how he dresses
• his sexuality is often joked about; often actually is gay
• the dumb blonde
• arrogant and self-centered
• very reluctant to get married at nineteen
• eats like a horse but never gains any weight
• has an eating disorder
• mostly likely to be “tortured” by the author
• has a female best friend who is either his “hag” or they fall in love

 

Zac

• insanely hyper and ADD
• strangely thoughtful and deep for his age
• his crazy fashion sense is mentioned often (yellow Docs, orange pants, etc)
• naive and/or religious
• stoner
• only in the story as comic relief
• depressed and unhappy to be in the band
• eats like a horse
• think he’s fat/ugly
• steals Taylor’s girlfriends, often without even trying
• loudly homophobic, but secretly gay
• the most jaded about their fame

 

Other Family Members

• someone is a long lost relative
• another sibling born after Zoe
• one or more wives is portrayed as mean, bitchy, etc
• overwhelmed mom Diana
• mom-of-the-year Diana
• Walker (sometimes Diana) is abusive
• one of the younger siblings is extremely precocious for their age
• story focuses on/is narrated by the boys’ children (real or fictional)
• fictional children are usually girls or multiples
• Jessica feels left out and ignored, acts out
• Mac is a miniature Zac in looks and personality
• one or more of the other siblings also sings, plays an instrument, dances, acts, etc
• Ellie, rather than Penny, is used as a nickname for Penelope

 

Settings

• Tulsa, New York, Los Angeles (or some combination of the three)
• the Hanson house acting as a hotel to all friends/girlfriends
• Sonic Ranch in El Paso
• on tour/tour bus
• some exotic/remote vacation locale
• the garage
• basement studio
• the treehouse
• public school or college
• hotels
• airports/airplanes
• movie theaters
• amusement parks
• fancy restaurants
• coffee shops
• bars/clubs
• raucous parties
• the pool

 

Plot Elements

• girl lives next door to Hanson and falls in love with one of the brothers
• girl moves into an apartment with Hanson
• one of the brothers will meet a girl in the audience at one of their shows (sounds familiar…)
• someone gets pregnant or has a pregnancy scare
• pregnancy out of wedlock or with someone other than significant other
• someone fakes a pregnancy or fakes paternity of their child
• abortion/adoption are considered but the baby is always kept
• girl(s) will somehow go on tour with the guys either because they work for them or are in another band
• two of the brothers fall for the same girl, or two girls fall for the same brother
• one of the brothers will sleep with a random girl after a concert
• the band breaks up
• someone has an affair, usually with someone else’s significant other (often girl cheats on Tay with Zac)
• games of truth or dare
• Ike is left in charge
• rollerblading
• Hanson babysit their siblings
• Jess & Avery play barbies
• a couple makes out in a movie theater
• kidnapping, murder or attempted murder (usually by a stalker or jealous ex)
• vehicle accidents
• someone is in a coma
• drug/alcohol problems
• mental health issues, sometimes including suicide attempts and hospitalization
• someone is raped
• someone has cancer
• someone runs away from home
• a parent or significant other dies
• someone is a virgin
• envious fan girls that try and break them up or cause drama
• the band starts their own record label (oddly prophetic, hmm?)
• one of the guys makes a solo album or joins another band
• the band was never famous or dropped out of the music business after Middle of Nowhere
• the band becomes famous later in life (as compared to reality)
• one of the guys cuts and/or dyes their hair
• one of the guys gets a piercing and/or tattoo
• girl randomly bumps into Hanson/a Hanson at a mall
• a relationship is kept secret from the fans
• fanfic is mentioned, usually in a joking manner
• the story centers around pre-fame Hanson
• Zac and Taylor are in love/lust with each other
• someone is or gets turned into a vampire