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There is this short story idea I have, but the main thing about it is that it is chock full of cliches. So if y’all could list every cliche you can think about, I would really appreciate it. (particularly narrator, protagonist, and villain cliches)(but other ones as well)
@rochellaine, @seekjustice, @jenwriter17, @catwing, @dekreel, @ariel-ashira, @valtmy, @kaya-young, @emma-flournoy (I know you aren’t a writer but if there are any cliches you can think of), @kate-flournoy (yes people are still on good ole KP), @dragon-snapper, @sam-kowal, @daughterofthekingWIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and grey@alia *cracks knuckles* My time has come! Was there a particular genre you wanted? I do fantasy, so here are a bunch of fantasy ones.
MC being the Chosen One
Being an orphan
Having strange, unexpected powers previously unaware of
A whole society the MC didn’t know about living right under noses
“Good” elves and dwarfs, “evil” orcs, goblins, trolls.
MC being surprisingly good at sword fighting, magic, despite never being taught.
Strong Female Character
Mentor dying
Villain being parentAll right…the clichés:
Villain clichés:
- villain always, always wears black. Maybe red, if they’re feeling adventurous.
- They tend to be rather tall and thin and have long fingers
- and hands which they rub together when they feel evil
- and a cackling laugh
- also must have a henchman who’s short
- fat
- stupid
- and refers to the villain as “boss”.
- Of course, he has no reason to be evil. he just is.
Protagonist clichés:
- Small child
- ridiculously smart
- or else not smart at all
- Very cute and innocent
- an orphan
- can outwit everyone, including the villain
- usually has an animal sidekick
- or maybe a stuffed animal sidekick
- Usually has a) stereotypical British accent, or b) stereotypical American accent.
- And a name like Johnny, Mary, or Jim
- Has evil guardians and/or lives in an orphanage
Narrator clichés:
- Uses a lot of writing clichés (eg. It was a dark and stormy night… or Once upon a time…)
- Uses words like “Rather” a lot.
- Says things in a completely roundabout way.
- I can’t think of anymore 😛
INFP Queen of the Kingdom commander of an army of origami cranes and a sabre from Babylon.
@princessfoo, fantastic! Any genre works. I plan on making the narrator part of a guild of narrators but because he expects things to go according to cliches he keeps accidentally changing the story and telling the villain what to do and not to do. (e.g. the monologuing so that the protagonist knows the plan and escapes, only the narrator talks about it and the villain doesn’t do that)
WIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and grey@alia That sounds so great! I would totally read that! I’ll see if I can think of any more.
@seekjustice, thanks! These are great
WIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and grey@princessfoo, I’m glad you like it. And thank you so much. Any and all cliches are welcome
WIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and greyWow, looks like Seekjustice took care of that for you. 😉 I think she covered it really well, so I’ll just leave it at that. 🙂
I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com@alia Haha, your idea reminds me of the Studio C episode where the Narrator has a fight with the protagonist. 😛 Have you seen that?
Let’s see… (I’ll copy @seekjustice’s style of listing 😉 )
Villain Cliches:
- Male villain has a mustache
- Female villain is either the most beautiful woman in the world, or extremely ugly
- Villain’s voice either is harsh and grating, or purrs like a cat. It is never a normal, unidentifiable voice
- This is important! You must be able to identify the villain by his voice
- The villain’s voice must be distinctive
- If you can’t recognize the villain by his voice he’s not a villain
- Yeah, the voice…
- 😛
Protagonist Cliches:
- Has far less training and bodily strength than the villain, and is yet able to defeat him by training and strength alone (after a long, suspenseless battle, because the readers know the hero will win, of course)
- Has unrequited love for the love interest, and must defeat the villain to gain that love
- Disobeys parents, gets into trouble, saves the day, is praised by parents for saving the day from trouble that wouldn’t have started if parents had been obeyed in the first place.
- Is smarter and more worldly-wise than parents – or any other adults, for that matter
- Rebels against traditions, especially if a girl
- Wants to marry only for “true love”
- Spends the entire book pining over the love interest who shows no interest in the protagonist, while ignoring the sidekick who is clearly in love with the protagonist
That’s all I can think of. 🙂 Hope this helps a little. Sorry, I don’t really know any narrator ones. 🙁
"Sylvester - Sylvester!"
@rochellaine, I have. its part of what gave me the idea for the narrator guild. And thank you for the cliches. if you think of more feel free to tell me
WIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and greyWhheeee there are some good ones over here. Cliches are so fun to pick on. Some in my list are similar to ones already listed, ’cause I wrote it before I read the thread. I think I’ll change my stuff to the bullet-point method I’m seeing though as it looks way easier to digest than how I wrote my thing.
- Damsel in distress
- opposite cliche where the female is o-so-self-sufficient and needs no men, which is worse
- young upstart who saves the world practically by himself despite all immaturity and lack of experience
- said upstart’s inhumanly patient and cryptic mentor who eventually dies and has to be heroically replaced by hero
- adorable and hilarious sidekick/friend
- the ever-famous villain monologue
- villains who are pure dark and evil with not a speck of human interest in them, c’mon at LEAST some quirks people
- pointless love triangles
- cute boy syndrome from girls (also if the love interest smells like pine or something *violent shuddering*)
- spotless protagonist who is so much holier than everyone around him—need some struggles, man
- wicked and malicious uncles
- wicked and malicious step-family members
- ummm… I know there are so many more but that’s all that’s coming up right now. I actually like some of those, people just need to make them more original. Much more. Your story sounds hilarious.
I can’t think of any narrator cliches, other than just in general being overbearing and telling the readers things they can clearly figure out for themselves.
@alia *sweeps in with fluttering black cape and lots of maniacal cackling* I’M BAAAAAAACK!!! Sorry I didn’t reply to this sooner. If it a YA novel, then falling in love with the first person they meet that’s their age and the opposite gender is a cliché that must be stomped into a thousand pieces and burned. I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned that yet, but… yeah. I need to be on here more often.
I really like that idea for a book. Narrators are underappreciated. 😀
Blog: https://weridasusual.home.blog/
@alia I love this topic! You guys totally nailed it!
The only thing I can think of is that the villain must always be cruel to animals and the hero must always have a kind word for his horse even if he is bleeding and dying.
Also, whatever the villain drives or rides must be black, to reflect his evil personality.
"In a mask, was he?"
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