Comments on: Found Family Trope: How it helps your writing

By: PJ Hultstrand

PJ Hultstrand — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 05:46:00 +0000

While I didn't really think about it before writing this series, I used the found family trope in The Lonely Heart's series. Personally, I had a found family in high school, in that I had guy friends who helped me, therefore applied a found family in this series based in a local Mesa high school.

I think the found family trope works well in the young adult market.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:46:22 +0000

In reply to Debra Borchert. Seeking found family is a theme in much of my writing. Given my own family experience, LGBTQIA characters also have hierarchy and and other families often do not have traditional hierarchy. Hierarchy is a complicated issue. I teach a class about status. It's a fascinating aspect of humanity. I don't agree that found families include unconditional love. The conditions can be totally outside what makes one less seen by society as a whole. Fascinating topic. Thanks!

By: Rhea Dionne

Rhea Dionne — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 03:31:29 +0000

In reply to Debra Borchert. Love it!

By: Rhea Dionne

Rhea Dionne — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 03:31:03 +0000

In reply to denise. Maybe this will inspire you!

By: Rhea Dionne

Rhea Dionne — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 03:30:29 +0000

In reply to Janet Gogerty. So true!

By: Debra Borchert

Debra Borchert — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:24:11 +0000

Yes, I've used "Found Family" in His Last Christmas Gift. One of my readers commented that when disaster strikes, you might receive what you didn't know you were looking for. When my character, Claire avoided having children her whole life, she was still nurturing and risked her life to save a child's. Very powerful.

By: denise

denise — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:31:46 +0000

It's a great trope, but I haven't used it yet.

By: Rhea Dionne

Rhea Dionne — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 02:01:07 +0000

In reply to Theresa Hupp. Glad to hear that it resonates with you! I find many of us writers use it naturally.

By: Rhea Dionne

Rhea Dionne — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 02:00:19 +0000

In reply to Lisa Norman. You are so welcome!

By: Theresa Hupp

Theresa Hupp — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 21:29:34 +0000

Several of my novels have a theme of "family is the people who love us". In particular, My Hope Secured, the fourth book in my historical series centers on that theme. Several of the other books in the series are about families where the biological ties are far less important than the ties of adoption. "Found families" is a theme that resonates with me as well.