In the Romance Novel Industry,
writers are often told
to stay away from clichés.
A cliché
is a phrase that has
“become overused to the point
of losing its original meaning
or effect,
even to the point of
being trite or irritating.”
The last thing
writers and marketers
want to do
is be irritating.
On the other hand,
the reason people use clichés
is because they are familiar.
They can express an idea quickly
and easily.
How to use them correctly?
Update them.
Modernize them.
Make them current.
I recently watched an interview
and the expert said,
“It is not like
we’re trying to
land a woman on the moon.
This is easy to do.”
Bam!
This tiny twist got my attention.
The phrase was semi-familiar
yet it was fresh and different.
If you’re tempted to use
a cliché,
consider updating it.