Trying to avoid being cliché?
Asked by: Melissa Collins
The best way to avoid cliché is to practice sincerity. If we’ve come by sensational material honestly, through our own personal experience or imagination, we may rightly claim it as our own. Otherwise, we’d best steer clear. Our stories should be stories that only we can tell, as only we can tell them.
How do I stop being a cliché character?
6 Ways to Avoid Character Cliches in Your Writing
- Focus on Your Character’s Origin Story. …
- Go In Depth With Character Description. …
- Give Your Characters a Range of Emotions. …
- Give Your Character a Sense of Motivation. …
- Give Your Character Fears and Flaws. …
- Give Your Character Strengths.
When should you avoid clichés?
When you’re writing on a more formal level, it’s better to try to avoid using clichés. They tend to annoy people, especially if they’re overused, and they may even create an impression of laziness or a lack of careful thought.
Why should you avoid clichés?
Clichés are stock phrases that you read so commonly they’re almost meaningless, like “clear as a bell” or “the fact of the matter.” Such phrases bore attentive readers and can suggest laziness or even a lack of originality.
What does it mean if something is cliché?
Definition of cliché
1 : a trite phrase or expression also : the idea expressed by it. 2 : a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation. 3 : something (such as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace.
How do you subvert a cliché?
1. Subvert archetypes to avoid character clichés
- Identify a list of character clichés usually associated with their type (e.g. ‘warrior’ equals ‘strong’).
- Think of how stock character types (such as “mentors”) have typical behavioural features. …
- Then create a character to fit that mold perfectly…
What are examples of cliché?
Common Cliché Sayings
- All that glitters isn’t gold.
- Don’t get your knickers in a twist.
- All for one, and one for all.
- Kiss and make up.
- He has his tail between his legs.
- And they all lived happily ever after.
- Cat got your tongue?
- Read between the lines.
How do you break a cliché?
10 Tips to Avoid Clichés in Writing
- Avoid Stolen or Borrowed Tales.
- Resist The Lure of the Sensational.
- Turn a Stereotype on its Head.
- Tell the Story Only You Can Tell.
- Keep it Real by Taking it Slow.
- Deliver Your Story From Circumstantial Cliché
- Elevate the Ordinary.
- Rescue Gratuitous Scenes From Melodramatic Action.
How do you replace a cliché?
How to Avoid Cliché Overload
- Let your characters inspire you. Replace a cliché with a phrase unique to your character. …
- Use settings or situations. Align your phrases with the scene itself. …
- Be specific. Clichés are often generalizations, so a quick way to revise them is simply to be more specific.
How does cliché affect communication?
Clichés lose their impact because readers and listeners tend to gloss over them, assuming their common meaning while ignoring your specific use of them. As a result, they can be obstacles to successful communication.
What’s the opposite of cliché?
tried-and-true, unimaginative, uninspired, unoriginal.
How do you use cliché?
Cliché sentence example
Many sayings are trite or cliche, but don’t avoid them solely for that reason. Despite its size, the cliche of ‘ big city; small-town feel ‘ is a reality here. So to use a cliche, it’s best to walk before you run. Dark spooky castles haunted by ghosts – what could be more of a cliche?
What is cliché in communication?
Clichés are words or phrases that have been overused in writing or speech, and have therefore become largely meaningless. They include examples such as the classic ‘leave no stone unturned’ and the more modern ‘it is what it is’.