Recycle The UnTrash

''If you've got a huge mass of stinking garbage, might as well put it to use. Whatever that means.''

When the writer uses Weak Writing as bait for Strong Writing. To Recycle The UnTrash, the writer must be aware of several things at once. In order to deliberately pull this writing stunt off, the creator must first know that an UnTrash is low tier and shouldn't be played without extreme care. All Just A Dream, World Domination, Laugh With Feathers, Cry With Onions, So Unbelievably Sad, and Harm The Helpless are all names of poorly-received UnTrashes that audiences deem unfit for modern fiction. If most writers want to move fiction forward, they'd be better never touching these UnTrashes. However, someone with the determination to revolutionize even these can show a better side to them. This must be done by completely avoiding the Basic mirror of bad UnTrashes. Experimenting with the limits of a hated UnTrash can do more than lead to viewers reconsidering their opinions on that UnTrash. It can display the true genius of the writer responsible for that change in thought.

The methods of Recycling The UnTrash will vary depending on the themes and contexts of UnTrashes. Damsel In Distress is an example of an overdone and predictable formula for a story. In it, a woman is trapped, maybe by a Dragon, in a castle keep and direly requests the aid of a male Hero to save her from the beast. There are several approaches to giving this tired UnTrash a renovation. Because the placement of the genders involved is very solid, a writer could simply flip them to put the man in danger and have the woman be his savior. Better yet, they could give the Damsel more independence by enabling her to fight for herself with a weapon or magical powers. Writers less concerned about gender can make the Damsel more meaningful to the Hero and give him actual reason for wanting to save her other than It's His Job. She could be close family or a good friend, which would play on the Hero's emotions. The Hero may not be as genuine in his rescue as the audience would expect, knowing the Damsel is a rich princess who is sure to shower him in riches after she is freed from her prison. What would make him a worse individual is his potential to mean the Damsel harm, only saving her from the Dragon so he can personally hurt her.

Despite its name, Recycle The UnTrash applies to more than UnTrashes. Roles in need of reimagining can be improved through the same process. As the paragraph above hinted, rewriting roles can make a scene several times more interesting than By-The-Books Playing ever could. The Hero, Villain, Main, Adversary, Nerd, Geek, and Bully are roles that can stand to see an update. Starting with adventurous franchises, the Hero has countless instances of being done wrong. The most basic variant of Hero embodies Good's Gotta Good. Although they have no sentimental connection to the world or people around them, they go off on a journey that frequently threatens to end their life because It's Their Job. They fight hoards of baddies sent out by the equally as robotic Villain because It's Their Job. They do what they can to Save The Day or Save The World and win everything all the time because It's Their Job. You, the writer, have to bring an end to this ancient madness because It's Your Job. Audience members have long moved on from the paper-thin starring protagonist. They crave someone who struggles at least once in any real way during their adventure, changes their behavior and attitude, and learns a lesson that sticks with them for more than two minutes. Tossing in unexpected elements such as a sense of humor, selfishness, or constant pessimism can further spice up the Hero. The more clearly these new attributes are a part of their personality, the more compelling they will be as a consequence.