8 Writing Cliches to Avoid
I've decided to use a Youtube video for this post today. I don't usually do this, but I found the video so informative that I decided it would help you all a lot more to include it. You can choose to watch it now, or after, or maybe not at all.
But please make sure to check out the guy behind it later. His channel, 'Terrible Writing Advice', has helped me a lot with my writing recently. Don't let the name fool you.
Let's discuss one of my favourite writing-related topics. I've been excited to write a little article about this because of how much I hate cliches in the books I read.
In writing, a cliche is something overused to the point that readers will often dislike a novel once they see it. It could be a certain plot element or character trait that's been seen too many times. And without meaning to, first-time writers are the most likely to include these cliches in their novels. That's why it's so important for you to know what these cliches are so you can avoid them at all costs.
Here are 8 of the most common writing cliches, in no particular order.
1: "Little did they know..."
Everything is coming up roses for the main characters, until the author drops this line at the end of a chapter: "but little did they know...." This is a lazy way to foreshadow upcoming conflict. Instead, you can do what we've talked about and foreshadow in more subtle ways, leaving a little doubt in the back of your readers' minds. Make a character say something ominous like, "I wish we could be happy like this forever." Or convey a tone of doom by describing the rain as "merciless" and the wind as a "horrid scream".
2: Missing Parents
In a lot of books and movies starring younger characters, parents are either dead or hardly present in the main character's life. For a novel set in the modern world, this can be very annoying and unrealistic. But it can sometimes work in other cases, if the absence of parents plays an important role in the main character's development, or is a major part of the conflict.
3: Too much information/backstory
Remember? I mentioned this not too long ago, in a recent post.
A lot of first-time writers, new to creating characters and plotlines, will be excited to introduce everything they've worked so hard on to the readers right away. So, in a prologue or in the first chapter, your readers will be told about the tragic past of the main character. Something that happened that changed them forever. Maybe their partner died in a co-op mission years ago, or maybe they were forced to break up with a boyfriend because of nasty rumours. In any case, once the explanation is over, you'll probably cut to the present, as the main character stares out a window wishing whatever happened never did.
This is possibly one of the worst ways to begin your novel--a big red flag to both readers and literary agents.
It's a cliche much more common then you'd think. Info-dumping onto the prologue or first chapter of your novel just to make sure that your readers know everything important about the main character before things start happening.This is a problem because your readers simply don't care about the main character yet. They haven't gotten to know him/her. They aren't wondering how your character got to be the way they are, because they don't even know how your character is. So, as I've said, the best way to start your novel--instead--is to begin with the action. With the inciting incident. As things happen, you can show little bits and pieces of the main character's personality through their behaviors and dialogue. As you introduce the main character and their personality, hint at their backstory here and there. This way, once your readers start caring for the main character, you'll get them to keep reading because now they're wondering about the character's past. Keep in mind, some writers never to more than touch on their characters' backstories. And even if they do, they don't do it until near the novel's climax.
4: The Mary Sue
'Mary Sue' is the affectionate nickname given to a perfect character. Mary Sue is beautiful, and talented, and kind. She probably has abusive parents though, and is bullied just because everyone is jealous of her. This can apply to a male character, too--he's handsome, rich, but polite and respectful. Every girl wants to date him. His only fault is that he's simply too good for this world, and his friends only take advantage of his kindness.
DO NOT HAVE A MARY SUE IN YOUR NOVEL. Flaws are what help us to identify with fictional characters. When a character struggles with the same things we struggle with, that's what makes us root for them. Take great care with your main character....and don't go thinking that an intense love triangle will hide the presence of a Mary Sue.
5: "Everything went black..."
Suddenly, just when things are getting exciting and your main character is faced by an impossible problem, he receives a blow to the head. Or maybe he's about to discover a long-kept secret, but that sleeping potion he drank earlier starts kicking in. Please....don't do this unless you absolutely need to.Knocking a character unconscious when it's most convenient to the plot is a cheap gimmick used by lazy writers. Face plot holes or points of conflict head on, because if you try to avoid problems with your own writing, everyone will notice.
6: Love at first sight
Let's say you're writing a romance. You introduce the love interest, and they're just gorgeous. Like, god-level handsome. Not only that, but they have no flaws to speak of and no enemies anywhere. The main character instantly falls in love, ready to follow their darling to the end of the world (Shakespeare's famous Romeo and Juliet would be exaggerated examples of this). I don't think I have to explain the problem with you writing this sort of romance. Real romantic relationships take time to build, and if a guy/girl isn't shallow, they won't fall in love with someone based on looks alone.
7: A character looking in the mirror
Describing a main character through the first-person POV can be tricky, and a lot of amateur writers use this technique to get around that difficulty. Get the main character standing in front of a mirror after waking up one morning. The character then starts describing themselves. They think about how much they love their long blond hair, or how much they hate all those freckles on their arms. You may think this is a clever and convenient way to describe your character, but you're wrong. No real human being would randomly analyze all their physical features in front of a mirror one day. We already know what we look like, so we don't need to have an internal monologue about ourselves. Instead, try mixing this information into the character's actions throughout the first chapter. You usually don't have to describe a lot. Just mention one distinguishing feature, and the readers will gladly imagine everything else.
8: The Chosen One
Here's one of the more popular writing cliches: The Chosen One. Very similar to the Mary Sue problem, only not quite as bad. It's not only used by beginners, but by some successful writers as well, because there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Making your main character 'the chosen one' makes them special, with some sort of prophesied destiny or duty. Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker would be examples of this. I get it that you want your character to be special, but you don't want them being so over-powered and special that your readers can no longer relate. People often prefer an average joe, or at least a character that earns their way to the top. Keep this in mind if you're aiming to make your main character a Chosen One.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
See you next week!
