The good thing
about clichés is that they impart information quickly and reliably. If someone
says it’s raining cats and dogs, you know exactly what they mean.
The bad thing
about clichés is that they get overused which leads to them feeling unoriginal
and lazy. When you know what’s someone’s saying before they’ve even finished
saying it you stop paying attention. And a reader who isn’t paying attention is
not what a writer wants.
Weeding out
familiar phrases isn’t too difficult. Getting rid of overused scenes and
premises is not so easy.
Certain types of
scenes occur so often because readers want them—in some cases even expect them.
They want the guy and the gal to end up together; they want the evil plot to be
foiled. And different genres have tropes that readers enjoy seeing again and
again. But while
commercially there may be an acceptance of the same old story, artistically it
can feel less satisfactory for writers and more discerning readers.
So how do
you write scenes that readers are eagerly anticipating without simply producing
an imitation of every other book already out there?
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