Let's talk about Tropes.
On one hand - tropes are common literary devices that authors can use which may help connect with readers. On the other hand - if an author relies too heavily on the use of tropes, the writing becomes cliche' and uninteresting.
Tropes exist *because* they show up frequently in our storytelling through the millennia.
Folklorist and Literature Professor Joseph Campbell expounded on this frequency of concepts and themes, and deemed it associated with something he referred to as "The Monomyth". The concept of the monomyth (the idea that all stories share aspects of the same great original story) can be found in Campbell's work, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces".
The wise mentor. The reluctant hero. The chosen one. The prophecy. The lurking evil. The Quest. These are all examples of tropes we have all probably run into in our reading careers. This not an exhaustive list, by any means.

What are some of your favorite tropes?
What tropes do you feel are overdone?
What spin would you place on a favored trope and why?