Table of Contents
How do you write without being 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.
What is cliché writing?
See also: Formal and Informal Writing. 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’.
Are cliches bad in writing?
Why You Should Avoid Clichés in Writing Overused clichés can show a lack of original thought, and can make a writer appear unimaginative and lazy. Clichés are often specific to language and cultures and may be a communication barrier to international readers.
Why is cliché used in writing?
By using a cliché, you’re telling your reader that you lack originality, making them want to yawn and stop reading your paper. Clichés make your writing and argument interchangeable with anybody else’s. Make sure that your argument and writing are specific to you and your writing task. Clichés are vague.
What are some examples of cliche?
Here are some common examples of cliché in English:
- Let’s touch base.
- The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
- Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
- I’m like a kid in a candy store.
- I lost track of time.
- Roses are red, violets are blue…
- Time heals all wounds.
- We’re not laughing at you, we’re laughing with you.
What’s the biggest cliche?
Popular Clichés
- 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.
What’s an example of a cliche?
A cliché is a phrase that, due to overuse, is seen as lacking in substance or originality. For example, telling a heartbroken friend that there are “Plenty of fish in the sea” is such a cliché that it would probably not be all that comforting for them to hear, even though the saying is meant to be a reassurance.
What makes a story original?
An original story is a unique narrative or fresh interpretation of a familiar concept. Original stories haven’t been attempted before (or tried in your specific way). They are devoid of clichés, overly familiar phrases and stereotypes, and overused tropes, which are a common motif or pattern in a work of art.
How do you identify a cliche?
Clichés are terms, phrases, or even ideas that, upon their inception, may have been striking and thought-provoking but became unoriginal through repetition and overuse. Popularity made them seem trite, turning them into what we now know as clichés.
Are there any common clichés in writing?
Here is a list of 200 common clichés in writing and how to avoid them so you can ensure your book, novel, short story, article, CV, blog post or other writing is vibrant and effective, and not a turn-off or unengaging for your readers.
How to remove a cliché from a sentence?
If you don’t want to delete the meaning of the cliché completely, you can rephrase your sentence by using plain English alternatives to enhance your writing, make it more concise, and improve reader engagement, which all help to improve the overall quality of your writing. Want to know how to remove overused phrases in writing?
Should you ‘fill your boots’ with clichés?
If clichés convey an appropriate meaning, fit into your writing, and are easily understood by a multicultural audience, then by all means ‘fill your boots’. Clichés aren’t always a no-no, but overdoing them probably is.
Should writers avoid writing cliches like the plague?
In this day and age, writers should avoid cliches like the plague. See what I did there? The only thing worse than writing a cliche is forcing your audience to read one.