avoiding cliche's ...help? - Writers Forum

level9 · 04-25-2005, 10:12 PM

Anyone conciously think about trying to avoid cliches when they are writing?

What I mean is avoiding ones in larger theme or in scenes within your story?

For example, if you are writing a romance, do you look back on what you have written to see if you accidently wrote "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back again!" ? Or if you are writing a vampire story, do you think about how to make it different from all the rest, or do you just write what comes? Like, maybe your vampires don't suck blood, and they aren't harmed by holy water, etc....

I find myself (I write suspense and horror), drifting back to this concern, which sometimes inhibits my writing. ("Gee, something evil is around the corner, but Betty can't walk right into it, that would be to cliche!!")

Any thoughts??

daniela · 04-25-2005, 10:53 PM

I used to. I got nothing done and wound up throwing away some promising stories (which I am now trying to recreate) just because they seemed to be full of clichés. Now I just let myself think about it a little when I am planning but when the actual writing begins I do my best to turn off my inner critic and just write.

Something that helped me was realizing all the themes have been written about and nothing is really one-hundred percent original. It's okay to have a few clichés in your writing; what matters is the execution. For example, in a story I am plotting out right now the setting, a commune, has been used many times before and by writers far better than me. But I have added a few things that (hopefully) only my sick mind would think of and it should set it apart from similar stories. Or the story I'm writing right now, it's about a flimflam man who gets his comeuppance. Cliché right? Well there are a few twists in that one too, which should make Grandpa Duffer's story enjoyable and different.

Those stories wouldn’t come out right, though, if I purposely avoided cliché at every turn. Sometimes you just have to write your stories and let them be what they’re going to be. They might surprise you.

--DM--

Talia_Brie · 04-25-2005, 10:55 PM

I think avoiding cliches is about recognising them. And it's about the most important thing that occurs during the editing process for me.

I write the story the way it comes out, and then look for cliches later, both macro and micro (i.e. story size, or just phrases).

I like to ahve faith in my abilities to create something that isn't cliche. If at the end of the day it's just a vampire story, then I suppose you have to decide whether you want to keep it or not.

It's a hard call, but I generally think most things can be saved.

MetalDog · 04-26-2005, 12:19 AM

I don't think I've ever worried about macro cliche's. There really is nothing new under the sun, it's how you tell it that counts.

Micro cliche' I keep a closer eye on. I usually find the first and sometimes the second idea I have will be hackneyed old tosh. I try to come at things from several different angles and apply twists to the ideas I have to see what that does to them and I'm usually much happier with the third or fourth incarnation of an idea than the early notions. Then I sleep on it and see if I still think its genius in the morning =)

daniela · 04-26-2005, 12:34 AM

I just reread my post; I forgot to finish addressing “micro” clichés in my stories. It depends on what I am writing. If the piece is a parody (or its more serious cousin, satire), I would have to include at the very least a few of them. Anything else gets a good looking over for cliché phrases in the narration that sometimes slips through accidentally. Dialogue is a different matter. At times I am a lazy writer (okay, most of the time) and for minor characters in short stories I tend to rely on clichés and stereotypes rather than spending too much time developing them. I'm working on improving that though (I used to do it for main characters too).

--DM--

Harlequin · 04-26-2005, 08:19 AM

I think it would be a mistake to purposely avoid cliches because if you see a cliche, you can always tweak it a little and it won't be cliche anymore. All a cliche is is something that people recognize, and people recognize it because it inspires them. It's a rare writer who isn't inspired by something else. In fact, it's impossible.

Hand · 04-26-2005, 08:59 AM

When I encounter cliches, I do one of two things:

1. Stamp it into the dust and find an alternative.

2. Alter it so it's comical.

Anidazen · 04-26-2005, 07:19 PM

Trying to avoid cliches is so cliche.

Just write what comes naturally, if there's anything sickeningly cliche then your proofreaders/editing people/whatever will make sure you stamp it out.

level9 · 04-26-2005, 09:27 PM

Thanks for all the advice...good stuff!!

Aevin · 04-27-2005, 02:09 PM

I agree with Daniela. I would advocate using clichés as much as you need to in the original writing, and then fixing them, elaborating on them, or "dressing them up" when you get to the editting process. A little more depth to what at first glance is a cliché can produce some very good results.

An example in my own story ... The child psychic. It's been used everywhere. Nonetheless, my kid is a unique enough character (I think) that his psychic powers are just the frosting on the cake. Or somethin'.

Or, if your story is comic, you can actually USE clichés for humor, drawing attention to their own absurdity.

For example, in a game my friends were playing, (Tekken 5, I think), a very major character "dies" in a massive explosion. Later, he is miraculously revived (cliché alert!). When asked how he survived, the character explains, "The explosion threw me for several miles, and I found myself in a remote forest base." He then simply gets up, and takes off to accomplish ... something. This is all said in a very matter-of-fact voice, accompanied by sattelite pictures of the character flying several miles from the explosion. (digression alert!)

Anidazen · 04-28-2005, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Aevin

For example, in a game my friends were playing, (Tekken 5, I think), a very major character "dies" in a massive explosion. Later, he is miraculously revived (cliché alert!). When asked how he survived, the character explains, "The explosion threw me for several miles, and I found myself in a remote forest base." He then simply gets up, and takes off to accomplish ... something. This is all said in a very matter-of-fact voice, accompanied by sattelite pictures of the character flying several miles from the explosion. (digression alert!)

Getting far off topic here, but was that definitely for humour? Let's not forget that Tekken 5 will of been scripted in Japan, and the Japanese culture is very different to ours, and such a concept in Japan wouldn't have the same ridiculous interpretation as that. They're very much into that kinda superhuman and physically impossible sort of thing.

(I haven't seen Tekken 5, just judging from what you described.) There might of been some humour added in the translation (because of cultural differences) to what was originally meant as a serious thing?

MILES off topic here, but it just occurred to me.

Gauda · 04-29-2005, 08:42 AM

Back to the topic

It's almost impossible to avoid all cliches, but do avoid the major ones. I can't really tell you exact ways on HOW to avoid them (ie: "don't do this and don't do this..") You kind of just have to look around for it...of course you know the typical fairytales are all cliches....

Don't worry too much about it. If you execute your story well, then nobody will mind. I've seen tons and tons of well written cliche stories, and they've still turned out great!!

level9 · 04-29-2005, 01:28 PM

Thanks again. All good advice.

Harlequin · 04-29-2005, 04:11 PM

I just thought of something. Cliches are only cliches because they were once so original and good that everyone wanted to try it. I hope I invent a cliche.

Oracle · 04-30-2005, 07:52 PM

In fantasy, there are alot of cliches that can be difficult to avoid. I find that the most useful way to deal with cliches, is to have an intricate and complex plot. Cliches may be evident, but they're never the sole focus of the plot. There's so much going on that you don't really notice the cliches.