Cliches

Hi everyone! I haven't been on here in forever! I blame moving and school but now that both are pretty much over... I'm back Anyway, something I've been thinking a bit about are cliches, these are the things agents cringe at when they see but when done in a super unique way they can still be awesome. So question: What cliche do you feel would have to be done uniquely in order to get away with it? And, if you can think of it, have you read any books recently that has a cliche that you feel was done really well and made it feel brand new again??

First, I'm glad you're back! And second, that's a great question, but I don't know if I have an answer. Hmm. I'd say I love to see love stories done over and over, in unique ways. XD Because everything love-story-related is a cliche, technically, because it's all been done before. But I never get tired of it. *shrug*

I agree! I love seeing stories done over in unique ways too. I remember when I first started looking for writing blogs someone (can't remember who it was) said that everything's pretty much been done so it's the writers job to make their story unique and new again, if that makes any sense. I believe she worded it a lot better than that

A big one for me is fairy tale retellings since those have been done so many times, but I read Cinder and loved it! It was so unique that it didn't feel like another over done story.

Oh yeah! I like well-done fairytale retellings, too. I haven't read Cinder yet, but it's on my to-read list! And I'm pretty pumped about it, because I've been hearing gooood things.

And yeah, that does make sense. You worded it just fine! It's so true.

I read it right when it came out and I half wish I hadn't because now the sequel is so far away! The thing I loved the most was how the author infused the Chinese aspects so that someone who doesn't have a lot of knowledge of Chinese culture could see it and understand it.

Thank you

Ooooh! Now I'm even more excited!! :O And I feel a bit better that I'm late to read it. Then I won't have to wait so long. ^^

Exactly! You won't have to wait as long for the sequel

CLICHES! I'm a little late to the party... But...hm. I think I agree with Maggie. Love stories. I AM tired of love triangles, though. So beyond tired. Unless they are done a bit differently...so...yeah. XD
Also, creatures. I love when magical creatures pop up when you don't expect them. Not vampires and the like. Unicorns and griffins and even dragons(though those are more cliched. I LOVES THEM ANYWAY.). So...yes. I think I forgot your exact questions.

CONSTANCE! I'm happy to hear from you anyway, late or not I soo agree on the love triangle thing. The thing I hate most about that is that the girl is always like "I like him but I love the other guy but I'm going to string both of them along the entire novel with I spontaneously make out with both of them just cuz I can" it's so annoying to me since most of the time both guys are really nice and it makes me kind of hate the girl which is bad since she's the main character... Okay my rants over lol.

I surprisingly love dragons too even though they've become cliched. They are just so awesome that cliches don't effect them

Joining the conversation, even later than Constance . Mostly because you guys are talking about dragons... haha. I love dragons. It might be because my first "published" (in a teen writers' magazine) story was about a dragon but... yeah.

As far as cliches go... I detest love triangles. So, so sick of them. I also don't like when two characters "fall in love" in 3 days because I just find it too unbelievable. Oh! And I read Cinder, it was SO good, I loved it. I really think guys would like it, so it's really unfortunate that the cover is a high-heeled shoe... (my brother wouldn't touch it )

@Sarah-Yes. Yes yes yes. It's the stringing along that REALLY gets me. If she would just flat-out tell one of them, "Hey, I don't like you as much as this guy." and give him a chance to move on, that would be at least SLIGHTLY more acceptable. Still, even then.

YUP.

@Gracie-Oh, how neat! CAN I READ IT PRETTY PLEASE? *prepared to beg*

Yes. Insta-love. BLAH. I mean, SOMETIMES it works, but it has to be REALLY well done. In fact, there would probably have to be forces at work for me to be convinced. In which case it probably wouldn't be true love.
Get a different dust jacket for it and then give it to him!

A different dust jacket.. hm... that could work!

Might I suggest these if you have not yet seen them?
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Oh! I have seen those! I totally forgot about them! They're so awesome. YES that just might work.

Good luck on your mission.

@Gracie I had the same problem with my brother except it was a different book (can't remember which) I just took the book cover off and told him to read it haha, I don't know if that would help in this situation, but if not I love Constance's idea! I've never heard of it before.

@Constance I so agree! That's exactly what bothers me! It's so easy to say "Hey I like the other guy better" but instead they string them along.

I thought of just telling her to take the book cover off....but then where would be the fun in that?

YES. JERKFACE GIRLS. GOOD GRIEF.

I like your idea better anyway

I agree!

Constance wrote:@Sarah-Yes. Yes yes yes. It's the stringing along that REALLY gets me. If she would just flat-out tell one of them, "Hey, I don't like you as much as this guy." and give him a chance to move on, that would be at least SLIGHTLY more acceptable. Still, even then.

^^^ THIS. I SO AGREE, it isn't even funny!

And @Sarah, that's brilliant! I never even thought about that. Though I'm not sure my bro would read it anyway. *shrug* I have difficult brothers.

@Maggie Thanks My brother can be difficult but we're pretty close so if he can tell that I really want him to do something, even if it's just read a book, he'll do it for me He's awesome like that.

Sarah wrote:@Maggie Thanks My brother can be difficult but we're pretty close so if he can tell that I really want him to do something, even if it's just read a book, he'll do it for me He's awesome like that.

That's awesome. I remember you telling me lots about him before! He sounds super cool-- especially because he reads your work! XD My older bro should take lessons from him or something. Hah! JK. (Half.)

@Maggie LOL! He is super cool I think you mentioned that your brother wasn't a big reader but it might make a little bit of a difference that you are so close to your sister. Me and my sister have a four year age gap so I was alway close to my brother since there's only three of us.

Oh yeah. I remember that! It's true, I am close to my sister, but she doesn't read, either. Even less than my brother. So... *shrug*

That's like my siblings, they don't read anything unless I bug them too haha. Except strangely enough my brother has randomly decided he wants to read all the classics this summer... He's weird like that.

Haha, the classics!? Good luck to him! Maybe if he gets tired of it, but still has the reading bug, you can start pulling out awesome recommendations. XD

I wish I could bug my siblings into reading. My sister finally picked up Hunger Games this summer (and not because I recommended it! Nooo, it was because everyone else was talking about it! *facepalm*) and hasn't even finished it yet. O_O