Cliches and original plots

You'll find that a lot of genre fiction follows some of the same basic plotlines. In addition to the lovely romance you've described above, there is also the "woman is reluctantly thrown into a sham marriage/sham relationship in order to gain another end, only to discover that there is true passion!" etc. These stories aren't cliches, they're CLASSICS!

In my opinion, something is only a cliche if it's insincere, done deliberately as a copy of something else or because the writer lacks originality. If you truly believe in and are passionate about your story and characters, they will find new life. Just ask Shakespeare.

There are only so many basic plots, and if you're talking about genres that have certain conventions to follow (e.g. romance -- they must fall in love and live happily ever after at the end...) your options are even more limited. But what you can do differently is to give it some twists, or a story that is "out of ordinary" even though it's still about boy meets girl. After all, there are millions of boy meets girl stories unfolding every day, and each one is unique... Cliches happen when the writers are "lazy" -- that includes language as well as story/plot. That means the author is not digging deeper into the characters and drawing complex, three-dimensional ones; instead, the author is using generic "templates" -- hero saves demsel in distress; poor lad saves rich girl (or vice versa)... or stereotypes: strong, rugged, handsome ranch-hand falls for the gorgeous, generous but reserved debutante... etc. etc. Nothing really wrong with those ideas, but you will have to try extra hard to come up with something fresh.

That said, some readers WANT cliches and familiar stories though. To them, it's like buying the same brand of cereals or toilet paper -- you get the security that you know exactly what you're getting. You're guaranteed satisfaction and no unpleasant surprises. Some books/product lines cater to that type of readerships. Nothing wrong with that -- just not my cup of tea.

Romance novels are meant to arouse. There's only so many themes and plots you can use. Just remember, it's not the quality of the plot, it's how you use it.

Avoid them like the plague.

Yes, avoid cliches at all cost - cliches such as the examples given mark a writer as amatuerish and ignorant.

As for plots, there are endless debates over how many basic plots exist but what the original poster refers to, IMO, is formula romance. Formula romances - which are not my genre as either writer or reader - are popular and readers of such novels do want the security of woman meets man, interest develops, obstacle in the way of true happiness, obstacle resolved, they live happily ever after. I've known several readers of formula romance who keep lists or notebooks of the Harlequins or other romance imprints they read by number because otherwise they could not tell if they had read a particular book or not! As a reader I prefer to read works that are original enough that I can remember if I read the novel or not but that's my preference.

However, even within formula romance, it's possible to freshen up the storyline by using different characters or locations or a new twist on the storyline. Romance writers do it with some success so it can be accomplished.

Cliches

Yes, avoid cliches at all costs. Agents, editors, and readers do notice them. It's impossible not to notice them. They can cause instant rejection. Find your own words and phrases. Using cliches isn't creative writing, it's only copying what hundreds of other writers have already done.

As for plot, there probably are no new plots, but you can bring new ideas, new thoughts, new takes on old plots. As Shakespeare wrote in Sonnet 76 "So all my best is dressing old words new, Spending again what is already spent."

I think it's hard to come up with an original plotline, with so many plotlines having already been written. However, it is the small details and twists that make a novel interesting.

Funny someone mentioned the word 'classic', though. I've just come out of my Classics of Literature class, and if there's something I've learned from it, it's that anyone who writes a particular genre is bound to follow the classic of that genre in some way, even if it was not intentional.

After all, the classic of romance is: boy meets girl, they go through some obstacles but in the end they live happily ever after. It's the way the boy meets the girl, the obstacles, the way they go through them and the way you present all that that makes the story different and interesting.

I would be careful of trying to be too original, though. Chekhov broke the classic plot line of "something happens."

Some call it genius. I hate it.

Stacey Sweeney said:

Should you always try to avoid cliche's? (This is for a romance novel.)

Also, does it matter how original your storyline/plot is?

Do agents look at these two things? Or do they focus more on the actual writing? Or both? (I'm sure all genre's have their own cliche's and worn out plots, I just can't think of any off the top of my head.)

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Avoid cliches like you would a rabid tax man with a license to audit. Nothing yanks at my suspenders more than cliches. It's lazy.

Agents and editors look for storyline and writing ability. After all, they're looking for what will sell. Cliches, bad writing and stale plots don't sell.

Each genre has their own little set of rules. What is acceptable in romance novels isn't going to fly in literary fiction. The key is to know your genre. That way, you'll know the difference between fresh and exciting and worn out retreads. Most of all, best of luck to you!

loquax said:

I would be careful of trying to be too original, though. Chekhov broke the classic plot line of "something happens."

Some call it genius. I hate it.

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I guess I'm one who thinks Chekhov is a genius. One of the four or five best short story writers and playwrights of all time. Certainly the best Russia had to offer. No writer was better at holding amirror up and letting people see themselves as they really were.

But I also find something important happening in every one of his stories. I think he had something happening with every line he wrote. A brilliant writer in every way, including plot.

Cliché Cleaner

Here's a little program which, while it can't do much about workaday story lines, at least highlights any reliance on overused expressions, including phrases of your own that you unconsciously repeat.

The free demo version is good for 20 uses. You have to convert your Word processor file into plain text first (use Save as.... .txt file), and it's best to scan your whole WIP so it can pick up widely-separated repetitions.

I dare you all to try it, and prepare to be amazed.

http://www.cliches.biz/clichecleaner/