blackswan

Right...but how do you get rid of cliches like "He felt a chill run up his spine" or "The silence seemed to stretch on forever"?

I mean, I suppose you could write something like "He shivered, feeling something out of place" but actualy that's pretty cliche as well. For the other one, I've tried something like "They lingered on the edge of time" but unforuntity, the time that seems like forever happens more than once in my story and you can't think of a different one each time...

JenJoyful

Well...according to the "The Dimwit's Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words and Phrases and Alternatives to Them":

Spread like Wildfire - An insipid simile (see page 19). breed; multiply;proliferate; propagate; reproduce; spread.

Personally I think cliches can work in certain situations. If it fits your narrator's style, go with it!