I haven't conducted any scientifically-valid surveys or research, but I'm nonetheless willing to bet that, at some point in their careers, every budding writer has been taught to avoid clichés like the plague. When a phrase has been used so often that it's lost all impact, well, it no longer has impact, and the writing comes across as lazy and unoriginal. Those are not great selling points and they don't engage readers. So let’s grab the bull by the horns and think outside the box so we can figure out how to avoid clichés, which I honestly think has been a problem since the dawn of time.
Tag: writing-tips
On Creating a Main Character . . . When you can’t give the reader any obvious information about that character
I firmly believe that character is the most important part of a novel. That's the hill I'll die on. Plot keeps us turning the pages, setting immerses us, but character makes us care. If you're racking your brain for story idea, character is a terrific place to start. Of course, developing a compelling character is easier said than done. There are, however, some tricks that can help you. So what happens if you can't use some of the obvious tools?
John Adcox: Thoughts on My Author’s Journey 