The problem with stereotypical characters and situations isn't just that they're overused, it's also that they don't accurately portray the real thing and often lead to superficiality, i.e. flat characters.

A few common stereotypes on AFF include: nerd, jock, player, , kingka/queenka, badass gangster, arrogant rich person, ice prince, best friend who gets friendzoned (i.e. he/she has a crush on the main character that isn't reciprocated). It's fine if your character has some traits in common with those stereotypes, but do not make them follow those formulas exactly. Add another dimension to them by giving them non-stereotypical traits and having them say and do things that are unexpected (but not unbelievable).

In these next chapters, I'm going to pick apart some of the stereotypes running rampant on AFF and define/redefine some things for you.

The first sterotype I'll address is one that you could say is "close to home" for me: the nerd.

Nerds

There are certain labels/traits that people confuse and use interchangeably with "nerd": glasses-wearers, smart people, bookworms, geeks, know-it-alls, teacher's pets, socially awkward people. A person can be any combination of these things, but just because they fit into one category does not mean they belong to all of the others, assuming that any of the others apply at all.

A glasses-wearer:

• used to be someone who wears glasses out of necessity to correct vision problems such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism.
• can now be someone who wears glasses as fashionable, cosmetic accessories or to imitate, if not make fun of, "nerds" (many of whom don't wear glasses at all).

A smart person:

• has a high IQ, no more, no less.

A bookworm: 

• is given to reading lots of books
• may treat books with a obsessive possessiveness and care, but to no avail because multiple and frequent rereadings inevitably results in damage and wear.
• sometimes reads and does other things simultaneously, including but not limited to eating, brushing teeth, and using the restroom.
• can get so absorbed in reading that calling his/her name several times produces no response due to selective attention.

A geek:

• is someone who has an unusually pronounced preoccupation with something intellectual, [supposedly] trivial, or both, sometimes to the point of obsession.
• probably has no problem ruining everyday jokes by pointing out logical or technical flaws in them.
• often cracks and listens to lame jokes and pick-up lines with terrible puns based on his/her particular obsessions but still finds them amusing.

A know-it-all:

• possesses a vast amount of knowledge and will make every deliberate effort to showcase it.
• is often disdainful toward other people for their ignorance on subjects he/she takes for granted.
• tends to correct people because he/she cares about receiving attention, as opposed to geeks, who usually care more about factual accuracy.

A teacher's pet:

• is usually someone who up to a teacher (or multiple teachers), but may simply be someone who receives favor from a teacher for whatever reason, despite not actively seeking it.
• may bring gifts for the teacher for special occasions.
• often attempts to enforce the teachers' will and whims, even if it means being unnecessarily rude to fellow classmates.

A socially awkward person:

• has difficulty making friends in general, but particularly in a short amount of time or from one-time encounters.
• is typically reserved, at least initially, in social situations.
• often lacks either the common interests and subject matters or conversational ability necessary to talk casually and naturally with people who he/she is not close with.

A nerd:

• is usually someone who is extremely devoted to and competitive regarding academics.
• may complain about grades below their personal standards, even if they are above most people's standards.*
• sometimes launches into debates with teachers to earn back points on assignments and assessments.

*Note that someone who simply earns good grades isn't necessarily a nerd. The nerd label refers more to people who obsess over their grades and overachieve in order to maintain and improve them.

The definition of a nerd is often blurred in with geeks, but I'm making a distinction because although most people who consider themselves nerds tend to have the geeky traits as well, the reverse is not nearly as applicable. In a way, you could say that nerds are a type of geek, academic geeks.

Many AFF writers have an odd and often infuriating fondness for using the second bullet of the first category and attempting to pass that off as a "nerd." You probably know what I mean--the person who takes off his/her glasses and is suddenly stunningly beautiful. Please avoid that. If they're good-looking, then they're good-looking, glasses or not. Certain glasses may be more flattering on a person than others, but wearing glasses in and of itself does not make a person ugly. Also, even being smart and wearing glasses doesn't make you a nerd, so don't apply the nerd label to someone with those two traits.

The Nerd as an Awkward Turtle

Stereotypes dictate that nerds are inept at socializing. This may pass muster as a generalization, but it is most certainly not an absolute fact. Furthermore, the perception that their status as social outcasts stems from some inborn trait is also misguided. The reason nerds are often less popular is due to values rather than inherent personability.

Being popular requires time and effort. You have to spend time and effort on looking good, on pleasing other people, on making sure you're not forgotten. Two people could be equally likable, but the one who gets out of his/her bubble to interact with others on a regular basis will be the more popular one. Most nerds have been raised to value education over image, and they will invest their time in academics rather than appearances. Many would rather study and do homework so they can secure their futures, thus they tend to neglect the social side of the spectrum because they have to prioritize.

Although some people are simply born with natural empathy, in general, people acquire and develop interpersonal skills through practice. The more you interact with people, the better you will understand how people function and be able to use this information to find the common ground that will streamline communication and boost solidarity. Nerds tend to have poor interpersonal skills because they haven't practiced them enough, not because they're impossible to relate to. Most nerds I know are perfectly nice people. The challenge is enticing them to venture out of their bubbles/rooms/basements/laboratories/super secret hideouts. Ice cream is usually a pretty good motivator.

Now, to the other end of the stereotypical social spectrum.

Kingkas/Queenkas

While it's true that in East Asia, schools might have certain students who have almost cult-like followings, it's terribly unrealistic to say that anyone enjoys true domination of the nature and degree of kingkas/queenkas. There are people who are well-known and well-liked, but their social networks rarely encompass their entire grade level, let alone their entire school. If you've gone to high school, you should know that there will always be people who won't buy into the popularity game.

Instead of playing up the kingka/queenka image of "known and loved and obeyed by everyone," you need to work on creating believable popular people.

Level of Popularity: They will have a wider social circle than your average student, but their degree of intimacy and familiarity with the people in it will vary. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that most people within their grade know their names, but their renown in other grade levels should be to a lesser extent.

Reasons for Popularity: Being beautiful and rich are rarely the sole motivating factors for people to gravitate toward them. Unless you're very superficial, you're not going to hang out with someone just because they have a nice car/body if you hate their guts. Instead, their popularity relies more on charm and personality. Popular people don't have to be athletic and/or cheerleaders (which don't exist in 99.99% of Korean high schools). They can be intelligent or theater geeks, etc. The key point to them is that they are outgoing and don't have issues talking to people who might be different from themselves, even if they don't necessarily befriend those people.

People's Reactions to, Treatment of, and Perception of Popular People: Not everyone will like these popular people, and they may not necessarily dislike them either, but rather feel apathy toward them. Furthermore, anyone who dislikes the popular people doesn't have to dislike them out of jealous resentment. It can be a conflict of personalities or interests. The people who do like them aren't going to act as their servants. Most people will not lower themselves to that level. They may up a little bit, but grovel and take orders from them? Probably not.

Popularity, Good or Bad, Real or Fake?: You should avoid making popular people seem like either demigods or demon-spawn. For some reason people like to portray the kingkas/queenkas as either being super amazing people or super fake and contemptible, with no middle ground and no possibility of it swinging the other way. This may or may not be influenced by the authors' personal views of popularity and what it means and is worth, but seriously, the polarization is a bit ridiculous. There are some popular people who are genuinely liked by a lot of people, and there are others that people will badmouth behind their backs. I have definitely had experience with this sort of variation.