How To Pinpoint And Avoid Writing Clichés - Article By Sandy Saleh

Writing clichés plague the zeitgeist of literature: overused, unoriginal, and wishy-washy, which is why it is vital to avoid them at all costs. Defined as overused ideas that have lost their intended allure, the mere presence of clichés deteriorates the evolution of plot and characters, melting them into the cauldron of vague writing. As a result, it is vitally important to nullify their competence as they come in many shapes and sizes, and therefore sometimes difficult to pinpoint and eradicate.

The cauldron of clichés within writing is eclectic. From tropes to formulaic writing, there is the tendency to utilize gratuitous violence in lieu of humanly accurate interactions, with many acid tests to name. The concepts of love triangles, a hero saving the world, a small-town boy, and fantasizing mystical characters are mainly overused clichés within the realms of pen and paper. Other examples of clichés can be more formulaic and are rather indoctrinated into society such as the coveted five-paragraph essay tailoring an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion shaped around a thesis. Not only does this prohibit the natural development of an apt technique of writing, it just might render a churlish taste in a readers’ mouth.

The usage of clichés can be a derivative of doubt, apprehension, penitence, and perfectionism, sometimes led by a drought of ideas and inspiration. It is also commonly caused by writer’s block, the event in which an author is unable to manufacture new ideas and work, leading to a psychological hindrance when it comes to the flow of ideas, and can be a product of many facets including inauspicious circumstances. It is vital to circumvent the clutches of writing clichés as they disintegrate the making of an unquestionably unique idea and come abreast with the labels of lazy and uncreative writing. Not only does it kill the momentum of writing, but the readers can also be disengaged from grasping the full gist of the text. Through the usage of clichés, you are directly informing the reader that you lack authenticity and expect to be met with lukewarm yawns and passive eye rolls. They label your writing as interchangeable and vague, filled with trite phrases and common prejudices. Furthermore, the exploitation of clichés will only make your writing lose authoritative prowess as the readers have most likely already heard it.

Overturning the power writing clichés hold can be strenuous at times, but it can be strengthened by the practice of unfettered writing as well as incorporating a foundation of intimacy with the reader. Weave a memory into the cracks of your writing, something you experienced first-hand: nothing too vague but instead descriptive and substantive. Make sure that every sentence is contributing to the zeitgeist of your topic; be precise and concise. And if you are suffering from writer’s block, consider delving into the root of it. Aim for improvement and development rather than perfection. Retrieve sources of inspiration, whether it be reading, painting, or even watching movies. Alter your environment and schedule and exert energy on other tasks. And when you are venturing into writing again, use the Pomodoro technique, a time management mechanism where you divide your work period into 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. It helps reeducate your brain to focus so you don’t resort to bulk writing, rather have intervals of intense concentration with small breaks. And if you are having trouble falling into concentration, utilize the Pavlovian response where you train your brain to have an instinctive response through a repetitive action taken by means of the implementation of a sole scent regularly so you can train yourself to focus on a task. In the end, it is most important to realize that the art of writing is indispensable and individualized, so it is important to abide in the face of comparison.

Bibliography

The Free Dictionary by Farlex. “Pavlovian Conditioning.” The Free Dictionary by Farlex, 2012, https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Pavlovian+conditioning#:~:text=a%20type%20of%20conditioning%2C%20first,shown%20to%20a%20hungry%20dog). Accessed 20 August 2021.

Nixon, Zoe. “Top 12 Overused Story Tropes in Modern Literature.” Writing Cooperative, 2017, https://writingcooperative.com/top-12-overused-story-tropes-in-modern-literature-d7b8a4bf7475. Accessed 20 August 2021.

Selgin, Peter. “10 Tips to Digest Cliches in Writing.” Writer's Digest, 2012, https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/10-tips-to-bypass-cliche-and-melodrama. Accessed 20 August 2021.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Cliches.” The Writing Center, n/a, https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/cliches/. Accessed 20 August 2021.

Article by Sandy Saleh

Cover page by Khushi Kolte

Editing by Charlena Li