Falklore: Writing Clichés

The September issue of The Writer includes an article titles “104 Worst Creative-Writing Clichés” by Professor Randy Nelson at Davidson College, Charlotte, North Carolina. The article can be used as an excellent writing exercise. Consider the cliché "worried sick."

He was worried sick as he approached the judge.

This is not a good sentence. Remove the cliché for a stronger sentence.

He was worried as he approached the judge.

It is so easy to fall into the cliché trap and so difficult to avoid. Following are a few of the 104 clichés mentioned in the article: fiery eyes, sheds light, staring in the face, when all else fails, doggedly, falls silent, reveals her/or his true feelings, couldn't be further from the truth, bored to tears, defined by Webster, stop and think, fist or headache pounds, safe haven, the finishing touches, emerges slowly, uses foul language, a blend of strength and sensitivity

Try the following for a good exercise. If you stumble across a cliché while reading a book, retain the meaning of the sentence and replace the cliché with a word or words that will improve the sentence.

Questions/Comments? Contact Jim at james@jamesfalk.net, or visit www.jamesfalk.net.

James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.