A Down-To-Earth Discussion on Cliches

Once in a blue moon, somewhere over the rainbow, whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, an apple never falls far from a tree. A little boy he picked it up and put it in his pocket, for an apple a day keeps the doctor away. A babe in the woods, as white as snow, couldn't see the forest for the trees and let out a flood of tears for Mom (the apple of his eye) and apple pie. A down-to-earth old man, pushed an apple cart from the ends of the earth and sang "Don't upset the apple cart, so go with the flow." He saw the grass was greener on the other side, where the babe grew green with envy, so he asked the boy, who grew like a weed, to share his apple, which was as juicy as a watermelon, with the babe, because one rotten apple spoils the barrel. Not wanting to be a stick in the mud, the boy didn't stop to smell the roses and fed the apple to the babe. Now they're like two peas in a pod and the old man is snoring.

I purposely wrote this short short story to be chock-full of common sayings (cliches) that we hear and use daily. I find myself even using them with my toddler, who may not understand the hidden meaning behind some of them yet, but they're fun and easy.

As a writer, however, I have to be conscious of them so that they don't spill out on the paper when I am writing, because they are too ordinary. A successful writer creates words and phrases that are original and creative. But some times a cliche slips in, like a ghost in the dark.

So how can I avoid using the ordinary? To nip cliches in the bud, I try to think about every image, every comparison, and every descriptive moment before I write about it. This makes me work harder to create a unique description rather than falling through the trap door and using a cliche. During the revision/editing phase of my writing piece I also put on my thinking cap, analyzing the text for cliches that slipped in the back door.

Writing that includes cliches makes it easier on the reader to understand, but the text is plain, flat, and boring. To make your writing engaging and memorable, it helps to pick the cliche out of your text and practice writing several different ways to describe the image or comparison. Use your five senses to dive into creativity and you'll find yourself spinning a thread of gold!

Well, now that we've reached the end of this tale, I truly hope I haven't bored you to tears!