Clichés Are Old School, They’ve Lost Their Cool

Clichés are overused, tired phrases that lack original thought. Some of them are as old as dirt (haha) and have often lost their novelty and primary meaning. Hence, they have lost their impact. Most of us use clichés in our everyday conversations, but they should be avoided in writing because they diminish the power of prose we worked so hard to make amazing. Just as some writers have the purple prose virus and believe that flowery words will enhance their manuscript, many newbies incorporate clichés into their writing to sound clever, but the reality is that agents and publishers will spot both issues and immediately draw the conclusion that the writer is inexperienced or lazy. Even experienced writers may fall into the cliché trap if they don’t pay careful attention to what they are throwing down on the page.

Ditching clichés needs to be added to a writer’s repertoire of self-editing tools to elevate their writing. The goal for any writer is to create a narrative that comes across as unique and engaging. Wordy recommends that writers step back from their WIP and return at a later date with fresh eyes. Get down to the nitty-gritty and scrutinize each sentence. Sniff out possible hackneyed expressions and replace them with updated or trendier versions. To achieve this end, use descriptive language that’s pertinent to your story to switch up a played-out statement. Another tactic is to invite characters to say things that coincide with their particular traits. If nothing is working, delete the time-worn phrases altogether. An exception to this advice is if a writer creates a character that uses old sayings as part of their verbal style.

GIVE A CLICHÉ A MAKEOVER

Bring a tired cliché into the 21st century

Cliché: The calm before the storm

This is the time before a troubling event where everything seems tranquil. Instead of writing — Mary was experiencing the calm before the storm, give the worn cliché a makeover.

Mary was at peace before the F5 tornado that was her sister-in-law, hit.

MAKE CLICHÉS POPULAR AGAIN

Change up an old adage by adding words specific to a character

Cliché: The new black

Black originally referred to a fashionable color in clothes, so the next color to become fashionable is referred to as the new black. In one of my fantasy WIPs, there is a shapeshifter who is every shade of pink. When the protagonist meets this character for the first time, she asks a question.

“Hey, mister, what’s up with the pink?” The shapeshifter answers, “Pink is the new black, and it’s magnificent. Oh, yes it is.”

TWIST IT

Take the ordinary and flip it by mixing up sensory details and changing the words

Cliché: The smell of success

Step away from describing a scene with the usual visual and sound senses, instead add a layer of unexpected description by disrupting the ordinary. In another of my one of my WIPs, a sexy romantic retelling, the main characters attend an awards show.

As they approached the celebrity-lined carpet of the VMAs, the unmistakable stench of egos and money hit her in the face.

IDIOMS: GENERALITY vs. ORIGINALITY

Though idioms may sound like clichés, they are different. Idioms are phrases that can’t be understood by their actual words, like sweating bullets. This means to be nervous or worried about something, not literally sweating actual bullets. Idioms are also overused and should be avoided. Too many of them make for uninspired writing that borders on generality instead of originality. Like clichés, idioms can distract readers. Some may not be familiar with them and may therefore misunderstand the author’s true intent, or the reader may find them tedious, old-fashioned or downright boring. If that’s the case, the author has unfortunately lost the reader.

DON’T SLACK, VANQUISH LAZY WRITING

Dip out of the lazy writing realm and keep your story fresh and interesting by using clichés and idioms sparingly. Be a writing warrior. Don’t rush your writing or your story and don’t rely on clichés and idioms to do the work for you. You owe it to your readers and your narrative to take the time to add your original spin on ideas and words to convey your meaning.