3. Kill the cliché.Read the full article here.
When you’re writing, anything you’ve ever heard or read before is a cliché. They can be combinations of words: Cold sweat. Fire-engine red, or phrases: on the same page, level playing field, or metaphors: big as a house. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. Sometimes things themselves are cliches: fuzzy dice, pink flamingo lawn ornaments, long blonde hair. Just keep asking yourself, “Honestly, have I ever seen this before?” Even if Shakespeare wrote it, or Virginia Woolf, it’s a cliché. You’re a writer and you have to invent it from scratch, all by yourself. That’s why writing is a lot of work, and demands unflinching honesty.
CreatingConflict
Backstory
Finding aCritique Group
Writing aSynopsis
WordCount
Plotting In Layers
What Your QuerySays About Your Book
DescribingYour Characters
Point of View& Characters
The First250 Words
PassiveVoice
Is Your Writing
Getting Better?
Findingan Agent
Tips OnWriting Action
Nice WriterSyndrome?
Red Flag: WordsThat Are Trouble
Plotting
The FirstDraft
Edit -vs- Revise:Deathmatch!
Guest AuthorClaudia Gray
On Outlining
Guest AuthorKody Keplinger
On Dialog
Guest AuthorCynthia L. Smith
On Process
Guest AuthorK.A. Stewart
On Character
Guest AuthorJana DeLeon
On Pantsing
Guest AuthorHolly Cupala
On Writing Secrets
Guest AuthorNancy Holzner
On Dialog
Guest AuthorGini Koch
On Process
Guest AuthorVincent H O'Neil
On Research
OnlineResources
Books byJanice Hardy
The Shifterby Janice Hardy
Blue Fireby Janice Hardy
8 Against Realityinc. Janice Hardy
Diagnostics:Submit Your Work
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Lunchtime Link: 10 Great Rules for Writers
The Los Angeles Times Book blog has a great article from author Janet Fitch about the 10 Rules for Writers. #10 is my favorite, (you'll know why when you see it) but I really like #3 a lot as well. Actually, all of them are good and worthy of being stuck to the side of your monitor so you don't forget. At the very least, read them over once before you do any revisions.
10 comments:
Thanks for sharing this. I think sometimes need to elminate the cliches.
I know, cliches love to creep in. Especially the ones that sound so good and seem to make the sentence better. But her advice is good. If you've heard it before, kill it.
Totally see why #10 is your fav! I loved Janet's book White Oleander and all the tips were awesome, including this one about cliche's. That's something I never thought to look for in WIP but I'll be looking for them now!
Yeah, its hard to catch that in my own writing. I love that my crit partner is great at not only catching this...but suggesting alternatives.
Great rules--thanks for posting!
I read all the rules. Most I agree with, but 1, 3, and 10 are still things I haven't mastered, but I keep trying.
I've heard good things about her first two novels, so I might read one or both of them this summer.
My first drafts always have at least one cliché that I later do remove and replace with something sincerely Taurean Watkins.
Yet sometimes it's a challenge to figure out what to replace the cliché phrase or line of prose.
Keep up the good work, Janice. Now I'm off to update my blog,
Taurean
It's so amazing how quickly clichés can sneak up on me. I don't consider myself much of a cliché in general, but...yeah. It's scary what happens in my writing. LOL,
#10 is definitely the most fun of those rules!
Natalie: Cliches are funny things. Sometimes they work fine if they fit the character's voice, other times they fall flat. I think it's the subtle cliches that get us the most. The word packages that are seen all the time they feel natural, but have been used so often they feel cliched.
Sam: I can't tell you how many times I've written something, but it sounds familiar. Either it's a common phrase I've seen before, or something I use myself.
Margaret: #3 really struck a nerve without everyone it seems :)
Raquel: Sounds like a great crit partner to have. It's so hard for one person to catch everything.
Elle: Most welcome!
Taurean: As long as you're trying to improve, you're on the right track.
Trisha: Especially during a first draft! LOL
Paul: Totally :)
Haha I love number 10!
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