Clichés are the well-trodden paths of storytelling; the shortcuts writers take when they don’t trust themselves—or their readers—to navigate original terrain.
A hero’s journey, a love triangle, a wise old mentor: we’ve seen them all before. While familiar tropes can provide structure, relying on them too heavily makes a story feel stale. Readers crave surprise, depth, and nuance, not a predictable string of events they’ve encountered a thousand times before.
Avoiding clichés forces a writer to dig deeper. Instead of the rebellious princess, why not a queen who revels in tradition? Instead of the rugged detective with a drinking problem, perhaps an accountant who stumbles into crime-solving? The best stories subvert expectations, playing with audience assumptions while still delivering emotional satisfaction.
But here’s the twist: most stories still end in familiar ways. The lovers reconcile, the villain falls, and the hero finds peace. Readers don’t necessarily want a shocking conclusion—they want one that feels right. The trick isn’t avoiding structure; it’s camouflaging it. Surprise them with the journey; they won’t mind arriving at a well-known destination.
So, in the end, avoiding clichés is about craft, not rebellion. Ironically, the best way to write a fresh and original story is to ensure it lands in a place that feels inevitable.
I wrote SEETHINGS and avoided many cliches throughout the creative process. It ended in an unsettling state, but I still see it as a recognisable happy-ever-after trope. Please read it and find out where it fits. It’s downloadable and free for a limited time.
-Michael.
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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