Do you use cliches? I don’t see how we could not since I have a book called The Facts on File of Dictionary of Cliches and in it is over 3,500 terms and expressions!
Everyone points out the major cliches in our pieces, but I imagine from the book above, they miss a lot. I try to find a new way of saying something, but sometimes those old cliches are so perfect.
When do I use them in my writing? Mainly in dialogue. And I’ll have the character say something to the effect that it is a cliche or an old saying. Other than that I try to avoid, but I’m sure they slip in when I don’t even know it.
Since I have this wonderful book on cliches, I thought I’d slip them in to this blog. From now on, I’ll slip in a cliche somewhere in the blog and you find it. The next blog will tell you the cliche, what it means, and the year it was first said.
These cliches will be finders, keepers, and you may do with them what you want–make sure you don’t put them in your writing, or use them in your dialogue, or just have fun trying to figure out what they are.
I’ll keep track of them somehow and maybe this way, we’ll learn how to avoid them, especially the ones we don’t even know are cliches.
So what are your thoughts on cliches? Do you avoid them altogether? Think up new sayings? I’d like to hear.
Keep on Writing and Enjoying the process.
Until next time,
Julie
