A buddy of mine
is writing a steamy romance
with a policeman lead.
I asked how she made the handcuff scene fresh.
She made a face
and said she doesn’t have a handcuff scene
because it is such a cliché.
Of course it is a cliché
but it is a cliché
because readers (i.e. customers) expect it.
If she doesn’t address that expectation,
she will disappoint readers
and/or look like she’s a poser in that sub-genre.
To truly know a market,
you should also know the clichés.
Does every company in the industry
talk about freshness?
There’s a reason for that.
It is because freshness is a concern
for customers.
Oh….
and be very, very careful
about making fun of clichés.
Clichés represent a customer need
and many customers will take
ridicule of a cliché personally.