Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Clichés?

This is topic Clichés? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by starsin (Member # 4081) on :

I know that this has probably been posted once already, but due to the time (almost 11:00 PM) and laziness, I'm not looking for it :P

So...quite a while back, I got picked on real good for starting off my Work in Progress with a oft used cliché...and I was wondering a few things:

First, If it works to help set the characterization and setting, why pick on it?

Second, How am I to know what is cliché or not...me definition of cliché is different from anybody else's

Third, So...could anybody list some cliché's that might be...wise...to avoid in writing?? anybody?
(I'll start the list with my poor picked on cliché)

"The day started just like any other day..."

- starsin

Posted by RMatthewWare (Member # 4831) on :

Well, anything you can write, has probably been written in some way. There's not many ideas you can come up with that haven't been tried before. Does your WIP have psychic characters? FTL drives? Elves, dragons, or magic? Does it take place in outer space? Got aliens? There are few new ideas, and you won't find them by looking for them.

Sometimes cliche is good, sometimes it's so awful that you should be stoned for it. Check out the Turkey City Lexicon for some ideas: http://www.sfwa.org/members/pollotta/lexicon.html

If you start your novel the way you've seen it before, it might be cliche. If you post something in here and a lot of people say it's cliche, it's probably cliche.

The "I just woke up, so let me describe everything in my room" opening is a cliche that has been done to death.

There's a lot of other things that have been used a lot, but if you haven't read the collected works of Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, etc, et al, you probably haven't seen them all. That's probably why it's a good idea to run such thoughts through other people, including us.

Matt

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Here is the grand list of science fiction cliches for you to peruse:

http://www.cthreepo.com/cliche/

Cliche is a tough one. Sometimes, something is cliche because it happens a lot and makes sense a lot. I once got flagged in a short story for a cliched reaction to a woman walking in on her husband with another woman...but I still insist that there are only so many ways that that scene pans out.

It's hard for me to comment on your specific case without knowing exactly what cliche you used. There are certain ways to begin that, unless you have a doggone good reason, are best avoided. And if you do have a good reason, you have to be prepared for groans and eye rolling.

Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :

Search, in the upper right corner of the page, is your friend.

OSC's book Characters & Viewpoint discusses stereotypes, which are also your friend -- for bit-part characters, at least.

And now, since someone brought it up:

quote:
The day started like any other day. The ground and sky gradually got brighter, and finally the sun rose above the horizon, at a rate of fifteen degrees per hour, from east to west.

Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :

There's a free downloadable software called "Cliche Cleaner" - I don't remember where I found it, but if you do a search for it, you should find it. It not only points out cliches, but also phrases you use a lot. I don't use it as much as I should because it frustrates me - there are only so many ways to say some things, as other posters here have said. But it's a good tool to use at times.

Lynda

Posted by MommaMuse (Member # 3622) on :

/me adds Cliche Cleaner to my repitoir.

Thank you!