Three Cliches That Should Not Drive Your Plot


Humans invented the written word five thousand, two hundred eighteen years ago, but stories have existed since long before then. The Brothers Grimm alone recorded more than two hundred folk tales in their lifetimes. With so many thousands of accounts, writing something unique is next to impossible. However, some plot devices have been used to the point of being hackneyed. And some minor plot devices have been treated as significant. Here, in no particular order, are the top three cliches that should not drive your plot. 

1. Mountain Out of a Molehill

You’re reaching the end of your chapter or book, and you need a cliffhanger. You need a way to guarantee your reader’s continued interest. 
   So you throw in some conflict between two of your characters. Sometimes they’re friends, but usually, they’re lovers.
   This conflict is generally over something small. 
The main character forgets to mention something trivial. The love interest finds out. There's screaming, and drama, and suddenly neither of them are talking to the other. 
Some— most— would call this fight petty. Instead, it's blown way out of proportion, because that's a compelling hook, right?
The reader thinks this entire relationship is in jeopardy, right?
Wrong. 
Avoid this if at all possible. It is not a plot twist. It is infuriating.

2. The Lie

In this one, the main character is competing for something. They're in a difficult situation: they must either kill another character or die.
The main character eventually does the unthinkable and takes a human life. They are allowed to progress at the cost of some of their innocence. 
Later on, they develop a close relationship with a different character. 
This character is often the friend, family, or love interest of the one the main character had to kill.
The protagonist should tell this character what happened, they know this, but they don't. Because… plot convenience?
They lie through their teeth, toil over it for a few chapters, and then the other character finds out. Drama ensues.
The main character now has an archenemy, someone who used to be their friend or romantic partner. How utterly exciting, especially since the reader was probably screaming internally at the hero throughout the novel.
This method is cheap and makes the story seem poorly planned. It makes the reader feel cheated and takes away from their overall experience.

3. The Villain… He’s My Father!

Writers have used this over and over. 
Star Wars, Mortal Instruments, and many, many more. 
It's just sort of tired at this point. I read this twist and roll my eyes. 
As with many worn-out cliches, this one makes it seem like the author wrote themselves into a corner and needed a way out. 
So that's all I have for you today. You can pull any of these cliches off, but you have to do them very well. 
I'll see you next week!

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