What's So Wrong With Clichés in Our Fiction? This.

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Clichés seem like harmless phrases, but they can damage our writing if we're not careful.

Common writing wisdom tells us to avoid clichés, but those lines still slip into our writing. Often, it's the sneaky phrases that sound right for that particular situation. We can't say why it does, we just feel that a character would say or think a line at that moment.

A line such as "Is that what I think it is?"

This video is probably the best example of why the "avoid clichés" advice exists.  




It's only a minute and a half, but it doesn't take long before you're cringing at each and every "Is that what I think it is?" line. It sounds normal the first few times, then a little cheesy, then flat out funny, and by then end it's just sad and a bit painful.

But look at little deeper.

The line itself grew less and less interesting, but so did the characters saying it. Even amazing actors in great roles felt cheesy and flat while saying that line, because the line carried no emotional weight. It's a generic line.

(Here's more on upcycling your clichés into something fresh)

Is it funny? Yes. Does it work in some cases? Yes. Does it tell you anything about the character saying it? No.

Because it's a line we've heard dozens of characters say in dozens of different circumstances, all with the same basic meaning behind it--I just saw something that surprised me.

Which is ironic, since the situation with a surprise is using a line that carries no inherent surprise anymore.

Since so many characters have said it, it loses its characterization value (unless the whole point of that character is to use cliché or quote movie lines). A line anyone anywhere could say is probably not the best line for a character you want to feel well developed and unique.

(Here's more on avoiding character clichés and stereotypes)

It's easy for lines like this to find their way into our work, though. Odds are we heard them in a movie or even read them in a book and they stuck with us, because they were indeed fantastic lines (and we hear them so often they just sound right).

When we write them, we bring that same emotional connection with us and apply it to the scene in our novel. It's sounds cool because someone cool said it somewhere and that's in our head. They can even feel like "smart writing" because they feel polished and "professional"--because we see them in a book or heard them in a movie.

They're also so ingrained in our subconscious that they naturally roll off our fingertips into the keyboard. We reach a moment where we want our character to say something witty or funny, and the cliché fits that requirement. 

But when it's a cliché as common as "is that what I think it is?", it's better to cut it and look for a line that's original to your character.

Finding Clichés in Your Own Work

One problem with clichés is that we don't always realize something is a cliché. This is one reason why people advise you to read widely in your genre, so you can identify and spot the common clichés used in that genre. If you have a line or scene you're not sure about, ask yourself:

• Are there any lines that feel "right" for that character or situation, yet also familiar?
• Are there any "common sayings" you know you've heard before?
• Are there any lines where you wrote the first half, then felt compelled to finish it with a specific phrase? Such as "I avoid X...like the plague."
• Are there any common metaphors or similes?
• Are there any scenes that felt like the easiest way to handle something?

Clichés often find their way into first drafts as we're looking for shortcuts to keep the story moving. Don't worry too much about them in the drafting stage if you want to keep your writing momentum, but it's useful to check for clichés during revisions.

(Here's more on why we love some cliché more than others)


If you're not sure if something is a cliché or not, try looking at TV tropes (a fantastic site for tropes and clichés in books, movies, TV, and other entertainment genre) and ClicheSite.com.

And if you really want to use that cliché? You can make one work for you with a little effort and creativity it will make your novel better.

What clichés make you laugh or cringe? Are there lines or situations that you wish you'd never see again? (For me, that would be girls tripping and falling when they're being chased by something) 

*Originally published January 2014. Last update March 2018.

Looking to improve your craft? Check out one of my books on writing: 

In-depth studies in my Skill Builders series include Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means), and Understanding Show Don't Tell (And Really Getting It). My Foundations of Fiction series includes Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, a self-guided workshop for plotting a novel, and the companion Plotting Your Novel Workbook, and my Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series, with step-by-step guides to revising a novel. 

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize (2011), and The Truman Award (2011). She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing, including Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It), Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, and the Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series.

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