Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cliches]

At the end of the day, we all use them.

Questions about finding clichés in one's work. How to remove them. What constitutes a cliché.

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"All of a sudden..." ?

I am writing a manuscript for a novel. It's my first attempt, and often I find myself wanting to write "suddenly" or "all of a sudden". I do this when I want the scene to change in an instant, or the reader to be surprised. What is a good way to…
Tim Chaves
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How to make side-characters look competent next to the chosen one?

I'm writing a storyline for a game where the forces of evil have humanity cornered. Truly everything seems lost, that is, until our main character decides to step in. Let's call him Bob. The Chosen. Bob is extremely strong and has a special ability…
Not A Vampire
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Resources about different people types?

I'm native German, but trying to write in English for various reasons. One of the big points in a story is to keep the characters very distinct from each other, and that requires some knowledge about the culture. As said, I'm native German, so it's…
Michael Stum
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Is it okay to use "It was all just a virtual world / dream" for a plot twist?

I am currently writing a novel where I use "It was all just a dream" (IWAJAD) plot twist, just because the main character needs it to change his personality and train his power to save the world when he wake up. But then, I heard that "IWAJAD" is…
Saika Infinity
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Is it bad storytelling to have things happen by complete chance?

Background I recently noticed in my latest masterpiece novel there is quite a lot of things happening by chance. For example: The main character just happens to pass by an old, frail warrior who can direct him to where he needs to go to advance the…
Featherball
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Why do heroes need to have a physical mark?

It seems that a lot of authors want their heroes to be marked in a special way. It is not enough that these protagonists are going to be heroes, no; they seem to require having a mark that makes them special be it golden eyes, a red streak of hair,…
Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land
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How do you come up with superpowers that haven't been overused?

It's hard to be really original during a time where you literally have TV shows and movies every few months, but some clichés seem to be recurring. For example, in a lot of superhero movies, you have: a badass character who can't die and has an…
Kiara Clément-Martin
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How to avoid overdoing deconstructive tendencies in writing?

The Issue I'm a person who likes to take things apart to see how they work, and someone who likes to poke holes in ideas. As a result, it's not surprising that I've always been drawn to a writing style that likes to deconstruct* plot elements and…
user2352714
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Is Ice/Fire opposition too stereotypical?

I'm writing a story where a secondary story-line (it's about a companion of the main character) is basically about a fire mage and an ice mage. It fits well in the story and the fire/ice elements aren't coming out of nowhere, but I wonder if it will…
user18743
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What's the significance of ancient mythology in literature?

Whenever I see a movie critic praise Ridley Scott's Prometheus, they seem to be drooling over all the mythological references, although most don't necessarily complement gaps in the story or enrich itself. I see the same pattern repeated over and…
Sedat Kapanoglu
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What techniques do you use to invent snappy turns of phrase?

We all know clichés are bad[1] and that fresh, inventive and "fitting" phrases will delight and entertain our readers. What techniques can be used to invent such phrases? Sometimes they just "fall out" while you're writing, but other times require…
Ash
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How To Not Make A "Type" Of Character?

I think that we all know what archetypes and character tropes are. They're mostly just a carbon-cutout for a character. Oftentimes, as authors, we use these to make our characters distinct. But at the end of the day, many of these characters turn…
Anonymous
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Why use the "It Was All Just a Dream" Trope?

There is a particular trope that became quite infamous across many media: the "it was just a dream" revelation, where, usually at the end of a important story arc, everything turns back to the start since nothing actually happened in the real world…
user34145
5
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Dystopia that isn't cliche

Dystopian fiction is a big thing right now, and YA books like The Hunger Games and Divergent are pretty individual and subsequently are bestsellers. But a lot of stuff is also really cheesy and trite, and is only published to make money. But I…
user34214
5
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Is a bandit ambush a fatal, cliche mistake?

Background I've planned the chapter I'll write tomorrow. It features a bandit ambush! That's so exciting! Wow! The sickly scent of blood, the glistening blades and powerless enemies. They are nothing compared to my godly knight who is so skilled…
Featherball
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