Cliches in Books, Stories, or Poems.

Crying_Crimson_Tears · 08-19-2008, 01:22 PM

The same thing as the cliches in song or movies threads. It's just this is about books, stories, or poems.

Sir_Vex · 08-19-2008, 02:45 PM

Your point being?

Expose the clichés?

Condemn the clichés?

Exalt the clichés?

Crying_Crimson_Tears · 08-19-2008, 02:48 PM

Name them.....duh.

MollyMac · 08-19-2008, 04:03 PM

Accrording to one of my husband's former classmates, all of Shakespeare is a cliche.

HumanePain · 08-19-2008, 07:00 PM

I think one aspect of clichés is the reader's frame of reference: the more well read one is, the more clichés one is likely to recognize something as a cliché.

However, if one is new to reading literature, clichés will be seen for the first time and so do not strike one as "cliché".

For example: If my story Town and Turret was the first story read by someone new to this genre, they may see as original the first chapter scene of an argument where one of the characters throws his drink into the fireplace.

However this scene is cliché if one reads enough and watches enough movies.
Even in Jimmy Neutron, him and Cindy Vortex throw their glasses into a digital fireplace.

In fact, if you read enough literature one will recognize that a significant number of sentences and things people utter have been said many times before.

Original sentence construction is what I love about poetry, I love finding ways to simply say things in ways that have not been said before. This is why rhyming is so limiting in poetry, because a limited number of words rhyme with each other and so are bound to come up again and again in rhyming poems.

So I think that clichés are not only dependent on how often they are used, but also dependent on the individual reader's frame of reference, experience and recall.

Saya · 08-19-2008, 07:11 PM

"It was a dark and stormy night." Haven't actually seen that in a long time though.

Sir_Vex · 08-19-2008, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crying_Crimson_Tears

Name them.....duh.

You did not imply this in this thread though, which shows that you didn't care enough to take the time to say this. This shows lethargy and laziness, which are unacceptable traits of character.

HumanePain · 08-20-2008, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir_Vex

This shows lethargy and laziness, which are unacceptable traits of character.

Feel big enough now? You big manly man, able to show the world you can insult a 16 year old girl with such manliness.

I find that an unacceptable character trait. Pick on someone your own size.

Oh wait, you did.

Duane · 08-20-2008, 08:28 AM

You could've given a couple of examples, like I did. It's cool... hm... loser scores with a super hot popular chick, and her peers hate her for it/try to ruin it, because we know that if your hot, you can't be with a fatass loser dah. Hm... MONKEYS TAKING OVER THE THE WORLD USING BANANA GUNS THAT TURN PEOPLE INTO BANANAS! THEY USE A SPACE THAT LOOKS LIKE A THE FORST AREA OF A ZOO, AND LAND IN SAID AREA OF THE LOCAL ZOO AS CAMOFLAGE! THEY'VE ALREADY REINFORCED THEIR KINGS' ARMIES HERE ON EARTH, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIEEE!!! Yeah, uh... invasion... um... yeah.

Noirette · 08-20-2008, 01:45 PM

Dramatic stories about lovers that die in the name of love or suicide after losing their beloved.
It's almost impossible to write this kind of story or poem so it will be somewhat realistic.

Though I agree with HumanePain, and I have more to say:
It depends on the epoch one lives in. If poems which were adored in the Romantic epoch were written now, people would have seen them as boring and banalic, and it works the other way around too.

Sir_Vex · 08-22-2008, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HumanePain

Feel big enough now? You big manly man, able to show the world you can insult a 16 year old girl with such manliness.

I find that an unacceptable character trait. Pick on someone your own size.

Oh wait, you did.

And how do you feel being forty and picking on someone half your age? We are closer in age than you and me, and I wasn't picking on her or insulting. If I were picking on I would have teased her for it. I simply stated.

Underwater Ophelia · 08-22-2008, 07:14 AM

"Bottom of a bottle."
If anyone ever fucking uses that in anything, they are a BAD WRITER.

Tam Li Hua · 08-22-2008, 08:44 AM

I didn't realize "bottom of a bottle" was a cliche. O.o

Underwater Ophelia · 08-22-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tam Li Hua

I didn't realize "bottom of a bottle" was a cliche. O.o

Oh my god, really?
Trust me, it is.
Not only is it cliche--it's so obvious of a metaphor to use.

But yeah, it's used in TONS of songs and poems.

Even I used it in a poem when I was like 12...and even then I was embarrassed after I used it.

Kristin · 08-22-2008, 05:36 PM

Someone recently asked a question like this at yahoo.answers. I remember some of the replies:

Starting a book with a weather report, that bores the reader and doesn't give him/her the hook to want to continue reading (which was very useful to me, since mine starts with a detailed weather report. LOL I now know how I'm going to change it to avoid that).

In a fantasy book, all the lands end in "ia." Mine doesn't! Woo hoo

Nauseating romantic descriptions that go on and on, repetitive phrases, authors that get stuck using the same imagery over and over (like Stephenie Meyer using "smoldering eyes" and "heartbreaking smile" 50 billion times in one chapter).

Characters that do not grow and develop through the experiences in the book. *cough Twilight*

Kristin · 08-22-2008, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underwater Ophelia

"Bottom of a bottle."
If anyone ever fucking uses that in anything, they are a BAD WRITER.

I'm silly, but I don't remember ever hearing that phrase used. Can you give an example?

Sir_Vex · 08-22-2008, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kristin

I'm silly, but I don't remember ever hearing that phrase used. Can you give an example?

Where are the two places you find God?

The Church or bottom of a bottle.

Bottom Of A Bottle was Smile Empty Soul's biggest single. There are plenty more, but these are the only two I can think of currently.

Ashlyea · 08-22-2008, 09:53 PM

Speaking of lands that end in "ia", dragons have become a bad and over-used cliche in fantasy books.

Underwater Ophelia · 08-23-2008, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kristin

I'm silly, but I don't remember ever hearing that phrase used. Can you give an example?

Someone already did, and if that doesn't do it, you're always free to google.

Kristin · 08-23-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir_Vex

Where are the two places you find God?

The Church or bottom of a bottle.

Bottom Of A Bottle was Smile Empty Soul's biggest single. There are plenty more, but these are the only two I can think of currently.

Thanks. I must have been tired (graveyard will do that to you) not to have made the connection yesterday, I have actually seen it. LOL

Kristin · 08-23-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underwater Ophelia

Someone already did, and if that doesn't do it, you're always free to google.

Got me lots of lyric sites. LOL But I get it.

Duane · 08-23-2008, 01:48 PM

Planet/Solar sytem/Galaxy is in trouble, and is in need of help from brilliant scientist/space hero/ son of noted hero, who is called up by the local government to solve the problem, and save the day.

Speaking of that, I need to get working on that novel of mine.

TheBloodEternity · 08-23-2008, 02:30 PM

I can't really think of any cliches, but the way that JK Rowling tried to build "suspense" throughout her shit and then wrap it all up at the end always read like an episode of fucking Scooby-Doo.

Joker_in_the_Pack · 08-28-2008, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBloodEternity

I can't really think of any cliches, but the way that JK Rowling tried to build "suspense" throughout her shit and then wrap it all up at the end always read like an episode of fucking Scooby-Doo.

OK good I wasn't the only person to notice that.

Duane · 08-29-2008, 04:25 PM

Main character receives much fan service. Because it's the main character, of course.