Classic Cliche
Definition of cliche: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.
One of the biggest accusations that’s been sent my way is that I use cliches. Well, one problem with genre writing is that there are standards and traditions that you really need to use a few of. If you don’t use some of the ‘cliches’ then you’re not in the genre. For fantasy, this can include magic, swords, medieval setting, and the overall atmosphere of the book. My point here is that you can find at least one cliche in every book. Although, this depends on the reader.
A person who has not read much of a genre won’t know the cliches. A halfling thief like Nimby can be a cliche to hardcore fantasy readers and a unique character to somebody new to the genre. This leads me to believe that cliche is really subjective and in the eye of the beholder. I know this is not a popular thought because a lot of people hold onto their hated cliches more than stuff they like. God forbid something you claim is cliche is proven not to be. Such a revelation ruins worlds for some people.
Still a little confused? Here is where this idea came from. Nimby is a halfling thief, which is a rather standard Dungeons & Dragons character type. I pushed for an interesting character, which requires readers to move beyond the archetype. Well, a few people sent me messages about how Nimby was an utter cliche and they hated him. Fair enough, but they had some advice within the same message. This was that Nimby as the retired thief should have been utilized as a red herring for the reader. Suspicions should have been thrown on him that he was the Hellfire Elf in disguise or working with the demon. Really? The retired thief being the assassin everyone is looking for is considered a cliche, especially the way that was being suggested. I’m not against using this tactic in a story, but to point at a character as cliche and then suggest I add another ‘cliche’ to him is rather odd.
This is why I think cliche is in the eye of the beholder. Every reader has different experiences with reading and different books in their background. This brings a varied perspective, which can include a ‘cliche’ not being a cliche to them. It’s the mindset that everyone has seen something before that irks me at times because that isn’t true. We throw this accusation out as fact when it’s really a subjective opinion. It can drive an author mad trying to figure out what’s a cliche and what isn’t.
Is there a way for an author to get around this? Yes. Just write what you love and avoid plagiarism because that’s not the same as cliche. You’re going to be influenced by what came before you. That will show. Put your own twist or mark on it, but understand that some people will ignore that twist/mark in favor of finding cliches. There are readers who purposely read to point out what a new author has ‘taken’ from those that came before and to harp on this. They’re part of the literary world, so take your lumps and enjoy writing what you love to write.
Legends of Windemere 
when I write in genres other than romance I tend to lean on clichés although I do try to mix it up a bit and through a twist into it… I just posted my third installment in my foray into fantasy and I have stereotypes and clichés peppered through, it is really unavoidable. I have just been trying to put my own spin on them… but Kobolds are Kobolds and elves are elves… although I am doing my own take on the origins of the Drow… (more of a political break off from the elves and the struggle between tradition and modernization)
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I agree. Some times you can only do a twist on a traditional. I’ve found it’s easier with monster species than the ones typically used for heroes. As you said elves are elves. All I’ve done for mine is change the ‘only blonde’ rule and the ‘immortal’ thing. Honestly, I’m not even sure if there are elf only villages in Windemere. I just realized that I always have them living with humans and they have no central government of their own. Interesting thing is that I realized why as I wrote that last sentence. 🙂
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Well I really don’t have any idea where my story is going… I’ve been using the short story prompts on We Drink to add to the story… so far in clichés I have the indifferent king, the well liked prince, the powerful corrupt Baron, two boys looking for adventure, mention of pirates and the two boys have had their first encounter with Kobolds and an elf, although I have not come out and used the word elf, but I did use the word Drow when he spoke of the division between his people… and the Kobolds I did not identify until after the battle, which was really more like a scrimmage…
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Kobolds aren’t as common as one thinks. Goblins are the standard. I like how you say the battle was more of a scrimmage. I guess I’m odd that when some people say ‘cliche’, I think time-tested tradition.
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Kobolds probably aren’t the standard in literature, or a staple of the genre, but from what I remember from my D&D days is they were actually quite common in low level campaigns… there was always a bit of embarrassment associated with being killed by a Kobold… if I remember creatures like wolves and bears were more powerful than your average Kobold…
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Yeah. If I remember correctly, it went Kobold-Goblin-Orc-Hobgoblin-Ogre-Troll in that ‘family’ of monsters. Funny thing is that the Kobold of real world legend was a house sprite that could help. Interesting creatures that should probably get more use than they do.
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I really don’t see your work as cliche at all. I have not read a lot in the genre and maybe that is why. I had to use a few cliches in my work, because it was historical and those are the words someone would have chosen to use back then. It comes down to what works for the story you are telling, I think.
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Exactly. There are times when you don’t have a choice, but use a ‘cliche’. They’ve become that way for a reason.
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Great advice Charles. You’re definitely right that cliche is subjective. Also I think it’s easy to be critical when you’re not the one doing the hard work – the writer is.
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Great point. It’s like a sports fan yelling at coaches and players from the sidelines.
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Exactly! 🙂
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a nice conflation/comparison of genre tropes and linguistic cliches. In some ways, tropes (like magic in fantasy) really do form a nice analogy to cliches!
In some ways cliches can be in the eye of the beholder, but I think for a large part I respectfully disagree there. Tropes are tropes… just because a reader is new to the genre doesn’t mean a trope ceases to be a trope in a factual way, only in that reader’s realm of experience. That’s how I view things 🙂
Like how you say to be yourself and that being influenced by something isn’t copying. Very true…. just make sure as an author to put your unique spin on what has inspired you.
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True, but I do think readers and your casual reviewers use the term ‘cliche’ in place of tropes. Part of this could be that cliche has developed a negative connotation and people throw it around when they don’t like something. There are times people overlook the twist and only look on the surface.
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that’s very true. cliches and tropes are definitely different things: cliches are pretty much always bad and that is NOT the case for using/putting a spin on a trope at all. casual reviewers do misuse “cliche.”
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I’m still not sure if cliches are always bad. I guess it depends on the delivery.
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if it’s used for a point and a purpose, you’re right. I probably shouldn’t have spoken in absolutes…. thanks for calling me on it! More often than not, cliches, especially in narration, are bad. They’re not deal breakers for me…. I use them myself more than I would like.
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I do wonder something. Can something fall out of cliche status? A core of cliche is overuse, so one could think yes. Yet if they can’t then that would make me think a point will come where most things are cliche to some extent. I’m working off cold medicine here, so that might be crazier than I realize.
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that’s a valid point I think, cold medicine aside 🙂 a lot of current “slang” is resurrected language from previous eras, after all.
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Never thought of that. Maybe cliches work in cycles.
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This was great!
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Thanks. It was hard to put words to these thoughts.
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Reblogged this on readful things blog and commented:
Thoughts on cliches
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I like this post a lot and you make some very good points. Yes, I think cliche’ is in the eye of the beholder (wow, that is a cliche’ as well), but that should not detract from a well written book. As you say, writers are influenced by what they read, there is no escaping that nor should there be a reason to escape it as it really is just a form of flattery. Anyway I agree that it is very common in a particular genre to use some form of cliche and I really don’t think it matters which one. In horror you find the ax murderer or the vampire, in fantasy you find elves, trolls and wizards, as long as they are not plagiarized who cares, in fantasy I would expect a wizard and sword play. Well enough of my ranting, I would ignore those that complain about cliches’ as they are just looking for something to complain about instead of looking at a book as a whole, at least in most cases.
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Good points. There are standards and tropes that make a genre what it is. To get rid of all of that could create another genre or a subgenre, but those are becoming increasingly harder to make. At the same time, to have only those cliches and tropes makes for a boring read. So, authors need to find twists and variations to make them stand out. This can be a great way to garner the attention of the genre fans, but (as I think I’ve said a few times) you always have those that don’t look beyond ‘I have seen the basics before’.
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A lot of comfort is found for most people in cliches and formulas, as you point out. The word “tradition” (which you referenced, in addition to “standard”) is probably most appropriate. For instance, a lot of people love procedural crime dramas, or cozy mysteries, or film noir, or SyFy monster movies. All of these genres have standbys that are traditional, and which instantly fill the viewer or reader with a sense of comfort, and I think they would most likely be deeply unsettled if those things were absent, even if they didn’t immediately realize why they had that reaction.
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Good point. I was thinking of the procedural crime dramas today. They all have the same trail and path at times, but people love them. So comfort definitely plays a big part of it as you said. I guess if you really love something then you won’t consider it a cliche.
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Reblogged this on The Literary Syndicate and commented:
But I like using “It was a dark and stormy night”! 😀 Booo, Charles does make some valid points my friends, check it out!
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I think the whole point with avoiding cliche in writing is to avoid laziness. For newer writers especially or first drafts, cliche tends to signal the writer didn’t bother to dig deep and come up with something original. They left it to cliche to do a job they should have done. But like you said, cliche can work *if* you know what you’re doing.
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Also if you put a twist on it. People leap in anger at an elf being used in fantasy even if it’s a different kind of elf. They see the name and jump to conclusions. Even so, it gets weird when someone yells about a cliche being used and they suggest another cliche that would make the story better. The whole thing baffles me.
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One of the first pieces of advice I was given when I started writing was to avoid the use of cliches as they are tired and over used, hence I do try to avoid them. Having said that though you make some excellent and valid points and I agree that there can be a time and place for them. I do not usually read your genre so I can pretty much guarantee that I wouldn’t spot any of them in your work! 🙂
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I love it when people say ‘never use cliches’. Only because I’ve heard it so often that the phrase itself has become cliche to me. 🙂
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Ain’t that the truth! (ooooh, another cliche?)
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That’s a good one. Maybe most of what we say are actually cliches.
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I think they probably are!
Maybe you need to do a cliche post on cliches?? 🙂
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I would, but I think several people have done it. So the idea might be cliche.
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A cliched idea about cliches…?! Whatever next?
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It’s an endless cycle. Like the ‘Song that Never Ends’.
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Or the circular story.. or poem. That’s an idea – how about a cliched circular story! 🙂
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Interesting. I’m not very familiar with the circular story, so I wonder how that would work.
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So a circular story is a story that starts and ends at the same place… it could be taking a walk in the park or something, the idea being that the story can be read continuously – hence circular. If you filled that full of cliches it would be hilarious!
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We should find somebody to do that. I’ll admit that I lack the ability since I’m never sure what’s a true cliche and what isn’t.
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Me either! Must be a book of cliches somewhere..
Leave it with me…
I’ll be back! Ha ha. (That’s got to be one – right?)
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The most popular thing I’ve ever written was that silly story that was made entirely out of cliche’s. Ironically, not one person complained about those cliche’s. 🙂
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That was a great poem. Maybe because it was humorous? We tend to give funny stuff a pass on cliche, especially spoof.
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