As writers, we've all been guilty of falling back on certain go-to phrases and tropes. While cliches may seem like a quick and easy way to convey a message, overusing them can make your writing feel stale, unoriginal, and disconnected from your authentic voice.
Here is a concise list of 25 writing cliches to avoid, with an explanation for each:
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"It was a dark and stormy night." - This overly dramatic opening line is cliche and unimaginative. It's better to start with a more unique or compelling description.
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"The protagonist woke up and realized it was all a dream." - Endings that reveal the entire story was just a dream feel unsatisfying and like a cop-out.
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"She had a heart of gold." - Describing a character's personality through a cliche metaphor is lazy. Show their positive traits through their actions instead.
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"Time stood still." - This is an overused way to convey a dramatic or emotional moment. Find a more original way to express the significance of the scene.
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"The clock struck midnight." - This cliche is often used as a plot device, but it comes across as contrived. Consider a more natural way to advance the storyline.
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"It was love at first sight." - Instant, perfect connections between characters feel unrealistic. Build romantic relationships more gradually.
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"He breathed a sigh of relief." - Instead of telling the reader how a character feels, show their emotional state through their behaviors and expressions.
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"The sun rose on a new day." - Cliched descriptions of the passage of time. Find a fresh way to indicate time has moved forward.
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"She ran her fingers through her hair." - Overused physical gestures that don't reveal anything meaningful about the character.
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"Life flashed before his eyes." - This cliche is often used in dramatic, life-threatening situations but it's become predictable.
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"She had butterflies in her stomach." - Describing physical sensations through cliched metaphors is unimaginative. Get more specific.
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"His heart skipped a beat." - Like #11, this is an overdone way to convey emotion. Find a unique way to express the character's feelings.
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"She was as tough as nails." - Cliche comparisons and metaphors to describe character traits. Show their strength through their actions.
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"The deafening silence." - Contradictory phrases like this are cliched and don't create a clear visual for the reader.
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"She let out a sigh." - Similar to #7, telling instead of showing a character's emotional state.
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"Once upon a time..." - This classic fairytale opener is too generic. Find a more original way to begin your story.
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"That ship has sailed." - Overused idioms and expressions that don't add anything meaningful to the writing.
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"She had a smile that lit up the room." - Cliched descriptions of physical features or characteristics. Get more specific.
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"Time flies when you're having fun." - Universal truisms and platitudes that don't reveal anything new.
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"All's well that ends well." - Cliche phrases that try to wrap up a story too neatly. Leave room for ambiguity.
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"He burned the midnight oil." - Tired metaphors and idioms that have lost their impact through overuse.
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"The silence was deafening." - Oxymoronic phrases that are confusing rather than evocative.
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"The room was as quiet as a mouse." - Generic similes that don't create a vivid image.
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"She let her hair down." - Cliche physical gestures that have become predictable.
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"The apple of his eye." - Overused metaphors that have become cliched. Find a more original way to express the sentiment.
In conclusion, being aware of common writing cliches is the first step to eliminating them from your work. Challenge yourself to find more original, descriptive ways to communicate your ideas. Your readers will thank you for it.
Want even more cliches to avoid? Here are 100 more cliched phrases to avoid in your writing:
- The calm before the storm
- The early bird catches the worm
- The elephant in the room
- The heart wants what it wants
- The best thing since sliced bread
- The calm after the storm
- The light at the end of the tunnel
- The pot calling the kettle black
- The straw that broke the camel's back
- The tip of the iceberg
- Actions speak louder than words
- Add fuel to the fire
- All good things must come to an end
- All in a day's work
- All's fair in love and war
- Alone in a crowd
- As luck would have it
- At the eleventh hour
- Back to the drawing board
- Bated breath
- Beat a dead horse
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- Been there, done that
- Between a rock and a hard place
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Blessing in disguise
- Break the ice
- Burning the midnight oil
- Can't judge a book by its cover
- Carpe diem
- Catch-22
- Cry over spilled milk
- Dead as a doornail
- Devil in the details
- Don't judge a book by its cover
- Don't rock the boat
- Every cloud has a silver lining
- Fate worse than death
- Fortune favors the bold
- From the get-go
- Game changer
- Get a taste of your own medicine
- Get the ball rolling
- Give and take
- Hear a pin drop
- Heavy as lead
- Hither and thither
- Hindsight is 20/20
- Hold your horses
- Hook, line, and sinker
- Ignorance is bliss
- In the blink of an eye
- In the heat of the moment
- It's not rocket science
- Jack of all trades
- Kill two birds with one stone
- Last but not least
- Life's a beach
- Lightning in a bottle
- Like a well-oiled machine
- Live and let live
- Long story short
- Make a mountain out of a molehill
- Method to the madness
- Money talks
- Necessity is the mother of invention
- No pain, no gain
- Of the same ilk
- Once in a blue moon
- Out of sight, out of mind
- Out of the frying pan, into the fire
- Pandora's box
- Par for the course
- Pay through the nose
- Pearls of wisdom
- Piece of cake
- Piggy-back
- Playing devil's advocate
- Play it by ear
- Pull the plug
- Put your money where your mouth is
- Quiet as a mouse
- Raining cats and dogs
- Read between the lines
- Seen one, seen 'em all
- Skeletons in the closet
- Sleep on it
- Slice of heaven
- Sleep tight
- Sour grapes
- Speak of the devil
- Stab in the dark
- State of the art
- The ball is in your court
- The calm before the storm
- The whole nine yards
- There's no time like the present
- Thick as thieves
- Two peas in a pod
- With bated breath