New article - Reading for your writing - clichés

In this article which is here:
Reading for your writing - clichï¿½s I have ranted on about cliches in books that you read. (Rants are creative, I reckon.)

The idea is that if you see them in other people's writing, you'll avoid using them in your own.

There are many ways of being cliched and I have said that "one of the ones that really irritates me and has to be in every single book Iï¿½ve ever read (that might be a small exaggeration..) is the one where ï¿½he was solidly built, but still light on his feetï¿½ or ï¿½she was very chubby but still danced across the room as light as airï¿½ or ï¿½despite his immense girth, he ran nimbly around the croquet lawnï¿½. Eek!

Every book I read this person is there ï¿½ this person who is large for some reason but able to move quickly."

I was wondering what other cliches you notice when you're reading that you would like to share with us - your favorite I'm-going-to-throw-this-book-at-the-wall-if-I-find-another-Sumo-wrestler-who-dances-like-thistledown cliche.

What is it?

Hi PennyG

Thanks for calling in and posting. Welcome to the forums - I hope you stay and contribute often - it all adds to the Creativity of it all.

'Sweet as Pie' - hmmm - I see what you mean - it's funny how something that must start out as being obvious to the person who started it, is taken up by so many people who don't really know what it means. Or maybe they did back when it started - maybe all pies were sweet back then...

As for telesales people - I think they're one degree better than people who actually call at your door uninvited and expect to take your time to force their views or product down your throat. Hmmm, six of one, half a dozen of the other, maybe. For me, it depends on how quickly they understand me when I say, 'No thank you!'. If they still persist then I can get ratty. Difficult to believe though that might be...

I have to confess to not answering my phone or my door when I'm working - unless I am expecting someone.

Seem to have wandered off the topic of cliche - but we did start there...

A few come to mind Hit the nail on the head... Kill two birds with one stone... His heart pounded like thunder... Happy as a lark... Hungry as a bear... He felt like a million bucks... the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife... those are a few one liners that have been exhausted or "beat to death" over the years-lol

Oh, yes - all these! And...

another situation one I noticed last night is where a new police/detective program starts and there are all the old hands moaning about a new, younger guy coming in to head them up and he's fresh out of college but all these grizzled old guys are full of contempt etc - they know so much more cos they've been getting their hands dirty for years whereas this young chap still has clean fingernails and no clue - and then they visit the scene of the first murder and he throws up (yawn - we knew that cliche was coming) - and then of course, in the end, he solves the mystery and suddenly they all love him.

Good grief.

lol- yes- so true!!!

And then there's the one about how she's convinced hubby's having an affair with her best friend. She even follows them and sees them very close and whispering sweet nothings to each other.

And it turns out they weren't having an affair at all - they were just arranging a surprise party for her.

Ack!

I love that drawing

!

My pet hate is the one where two old friends meet, and the one who is married with kids feels her life is humdrum and is envious of the other who's had an exciting career - then it turns out the career girl really envies Mrs Humdrum who then realizes how lucky she is.

Makes me hurl!