All The Tropes:Example Indentation in Trope Lists

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

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. For example, this: 

* Trope Name: In episode "The Episode", Alice uses this trope to ... 
* Another Trope:
** In "Another Episode", Alice bangs it out 
** In "Yet Another Episode", Bob subverts it

results in:

  • Trope Name: In episode "The Episode", Alice uses this trope to ...
  • Another Trope:
    • In "Another Episode", Alice bangs it out
    • In "Yet Another Episode", Bob subverts it

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 (**), we use the ":" markup to make the next paragraph indent to match that of the previous. Start a new line to add a new paragraph, copy-and-paste the same string of bullets that was at the beginning of the immediately-previous paragraph, and replace only the final bullet with a colon. Like this: 

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

which produces this:

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


Let's say Carol and Susan and Alice and Bob are two shows. Each should have a separate first-bullet point. Like this:

  • Alice and Bob: This trope is used when...
  • Carol and Susan: This trope is used when...

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 again when...

Or:

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

A three-bullet situation (***) usually indicates a comment on the item above it which has two bullets. This is a sign that that the list is heading toward Thread Mode (discussion). That's not a good thing for Trope or Work pages, although it's an excellent thing for WMG pages. 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...

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

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