Pretty Cliche
Dec. 9th, 2009 08:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
parallax23I know we grit our teeth and complain about coming across a cliche story that we just couldn't help but clicking on or TV movie that the remote happened to stop on, only to discover everything worked out exactly how we thought it would. Some writers do it well and keep us on our toes throughout the story, other times we get a jumbled mess that makes us wonder how the person ties their shoes in the morning.
A professor of mine once said that good story-telling was like good sex, lots of foreplay and creativity are what give a story its life. No truer words have yet to be spoken. This is what separates good writer from bad one, the Don Juan from the minute man.
Though we knock cliches, the truth is sometimes its comforting to have an ending we can see coming. Familiarity does breed contempt, but at the same time we are always drawn back to it because it's safe.
The trick to writing a cliche is to keep the characters interesting and multidimensional because they are the driving force as to whether or not this will be memorable or not. Also, adding an unexpected though appropriate twist into the mix helps. Then, and I can't stress this enough, is the style and arrangement of the story. Good writers take the time to develop their characters and their emotions, instead of saying x, y and z happened then on to the quick ending.
Cliches are fine, as long as they're done right... True to the characters and showcasing talented style.
That said, looking at my life it seems like I'm a poster child for those cliche romantic stories (which might explain why I'm reading them like crazy these days?). Minus the romance.
A professor of mine once said that good story-telling was like good sex, lots of foreplay and creativity are what give a story its life. No truer words have yet to be spoken. This is what separates good writer from bad one, the Don Juan from the minute man.
Though we knock cliches, the truth is sometimes its comforting to have an ending we can see coming. Familiarity does breed contempt, but at the same time we are always drawn back to it because it's safe.
The trick to writing a cliche is to keep the characters interesting and multidimensional because they are the driving force as to whether or not this will be memorable or not. Also, adding an unexpected though appropriate twist into the mix helps. Then, and I can't stress this enough, is the style and arrangement of the story. Good writers take the time to develop their characters and their emotions, instead of saying x, y and z happened then on to the quick ending.
Cliches are fine, as long as they're done right... True to the characters and showcasing talented style.
That said, looking at my life it seems like I'm a poster child for those cliche romantic stories (which might explain why I'm reading them like crazy these days?). Minus the romance.
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-10 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 12:04 am (UTC);D
Having sex in the same position every single time is a bad mental image. I'm going to discard it as heresy though it is better than no sex. *clicks 'Delete' on this thought bubble* LOL
no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-12 04:47 am (UTC)