Clichés are, by definition, old hat, but what if there’s a subtler version of the oh-so-enticing little literary buggers?
Blogging for the Guardian, Peter Robbins pontificates on his own personal clichés, and how (although they may not realize it), many writers tend to develop fallbacks of vocabulary that are uniquely, their own. This can lead, Robbins muses, to a body of work by a single author that is dangerously riddled with self-made clichés. How to avoid this vicious, repetitious cycle? A simple suggestion: get a really, really good editor.
One response
Ralph Ellison, “Juneteenth”: “underpants” It is unbelievable how many times this word appears in this book. It was put together after his demise by someone else, and is a good warning for anyone who thinks this type of work should be done.
Click here to subscribe today and leave your comment.