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Dull as Dishwater: Clichés and Their Elimination
Most writers are wary of the clichés that sneak into descriptive passages: “black as ink,” “ice-cold,” etc. You might think, Well, I never do that...but you’re probably wrong far more often than you think—especially since clichés aren’t limited to description. There are cliché plotting techniques, cliché characters, even cliché tones of voice. In fact, clichés are so pervasive at all levels of writing that they’re like underinflated tires on a car—usually not noticed until after the problem has been corrected, after which we ask ourselves “How could I have missed that?”
Mark also teaches Nurturing the 800 Pound Gorilla, a six-week class for fiction writers.
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Mark A. Clements is the author of four published novels, including The Land of Nod, which won the first annual Theodore S. Geisel "Best of the Best" Award at the San Diego Book Awards. All four novels have been optioned for film. He also wrote the script for a short original film, Dreamweavers, starring Robert Carradine and Frank Gorshin, and has ghostwritten numerous published novels. A passionate teadcher, he runs read-and-critique workshops at two writers’ conferences each year, and is currently at work upon his latest novel, The Black Queen.
