Administrivia / Example Indentation in Trope Lists

aka: Example Indentation

There has been some confusion about how a list of examples, or anything else, should be indented/bulleted. Here we go with an answer.

The shortest version: Bullet points are for examples, not comments about examples. For any indentation level other than single bullet, if there is only one item at the indentation level, it ain't indented right.

For more detail than that:

On a works page, for example, we have a list of trope names. These get one bullet (*). If there is more than one example of the trope in the work, each of them gets two bullets (**) on their own line. If there is only one example, it goes on the line with the trope title. Like this:

• Trope Name: In episode "The Episode" (1x1), Alice uses this trope to...
• Another Trope:
  • In "Another Episode" (1x2), Alice bangs it out...
  • In "Yet Another Episode" (1x3), Bob subverts it when...

In a situation where the text of a bullet is too long, or needs a paragraph break for some other reason, we don't add the text in with another bullet (** ). Instead, we use the \\ markup to force a paragraph. Like this:

• Yet Another Trope:
  • In "Finale" (1x13), Alice bangs it out at great length.\\
    \\
    So much length, we need multiple paragraphs to explain the length.
  • In "Finale" (1x13), Bob subverts it. That's what he does. He's subversive.

On a trope page, you will sometimes run into a situation where you want to list multiple examples from the same media or series. Don't list one example and then indent the others under it. Instead, use:

• Alice and Bob:
  • In episode 2, this trope occurs when...
  • In episode 21, this trope occurs when...

Or:

• Alice and Bob Trilogy:
  • In Alice Alone, the trope is seen...
  • In Bob Meets Alice, we see the trope when...

Whenever the works are in different franchises, each separate franchise gets its own first-level point. Let's say Claire and David and Alice and Bob are two shows. Each should have a separate first-bullet point.

Right

• Alice and Bob: this trope is used when...
• Claire and David: this trope is used when...

Wrong

• Claire and David: this trope is used when...
  • Alice and Bob used it when...

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Third bullets

A three-bullet situation (***) usually indicates a comment on the item above it which has two bullets. This is a sign that the list is heading toward Thread Mode (discussion). That's not a good thing. The trope lists are not discussions. Discussions take place on the discussion pages or in the forums. However, three-bullet situations sometimes are legit. Rarely. If you find yourself needing a third level of indentation, take a look at using a header, instead.

A legitimate three-bullet situation might look something like this:

• Alice and Bob Franchise:
  • Alice Meets Bob: The trope is in full effect in the opening sequence, when...
  • Alice Vs. Bob: The Reckoning:
    • When Bob is walking up to Alice...
    • In the background of the bar scene, you can see...
  • Alice, Bob, and Carol: In an echo of Alice Meets Bob...

...Or this:

• Trope:
  • Alice displays this trope well on many occasions:
    • Alice Meets Bob has her demonstrating this trope twice when she is in Bob's house.
    • She shows this in Alice, Bob, and Carol around the climax.
  • Bob has his own chance to shine in Alice Vs. Bob: The Reckoning.

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This is a widely-accepted style standard, folks. Not something we just made up around here because we were bored.

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Super-Trope-Sub-Trope sorting

All tropes in a list should be at the same level of indentation, and in alphabetical order. See How to Write an Example. Subtropes should not be listed in sub-bullets beneath their parent tropes.

The same applies for tropes with subtropes.

Right

• Dishing Out Dirt: Alice is able to move chunks of dirt and cause small earthquakes.
• Elemental Powers: Most humans in this setting have an elemental affinity, an innate ability to manipulate a certain element. People with Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth affinity are common, though there are several others, including the newly documented Light.
• Light 'em Up: Bob uses his light powers to send glowing Beam Spam at enemies, and he can also give himself flashlight hands.
• Making a Splash: Charlie can summon rain and move globs of water around.
• Playing with Fire: Dana can breathe fire and create fireballs, but she mostly uses her powers to heat up food.

Wrong

• Elemental Powers:
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Alice is able to move chunks of dirt and cause small earthquakes.
  • Light 'em Up: Bob uses his light powers to send glowing Beam Spam at enemies, and he can also give himself flashlight hands.
  • Making a Splash: Charlie can summon rain and move globs of water around.
  • Playing with Fire: Dana can breathe fire and create fireballs, but she mostly uses her powers to heat up food.

One Trope per Bullet

Every trope should get its own first-level bullet. It's not acceptable to list two or more tropes on the same bullet. This most often takes the form of "tropeslashing": when two or more tropes apply to an example writeup, some folks have a tendency to stick them on the same bullet with a slash between them. Don't do this! Put each trope on its own bullet, properly alphabetized, and modify the writeup so it focuses on the trope it's for.

Right

• Best Served Cold: It takes Alice twenty years to get revenge on Bob for killing her son, but when she gets there, she relishes every moment of it.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: When Alice takes revenge on Bob, she does so by sadistically torturing him, but since he did the same thing to her son, Alice doesn't think she's doing anything wrong.

Wrong

• Best Served Cold/Pay Evil unto Evil: It takes Alice twenty years to get revenge on Bob for killing her son, which she does by sadistically torturing him to death the same way he did her son.

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Quote indentation

When multiple examples within a list have quotes, you need to make sure to indent and separate them correctly. A quote is designated with the "->" markup, with additional hyphens ('-') increasing indentation. You always want the quote indentation to be one level deeper than the bullet that they are related to.

Right

• Badass Boast:
  • Alice tells Bob that she's going to beat up everyone.
    Alice: I'm going to beat up everyone!
  • Charlie has had enough of Alice's fooling around.
    Charlie: Alice, I am far more awesome than you.

Wrong

• Badass Boast:
  • Alice tells Bob that she's going to beat up everyone.
  Alice: I'm going to beat up everyone!
  • Charlie has had enough of Alice's fooling around.
  Charlie: Alice, I am far more awesome than you.

Of note, each quote should have explanatory example text. Don't leave a quote hanging without a parent bullet unless it applies to the same example as the previous one. In the latter case, separate distinct quotes with a forced line break, using \\ on a blank line. This should be used only rarely.

Right

• Badass Boast:
  • Alice tells Bob that she's going to beat up everyone.
    Alice: I'm going to beat up everyone!
  • Charlie has had enough of Alice's fooling around.
    Charlie: Alice, I am far more awesome than you.
    
    Charlie: Alice, the time has come to show you how the big kids do things.

Wrong

• Badass Boast:
  Alice: I'm going to beat up everyone!
  
  Charlie: Alice, I am far more awesome than you.
  
  Charlie: Alice, the time has come to show you how the big kids do things.

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