So, I noticed there are a bunch of topics related to the cliches Episode has. I was wondering what would completely go to the other way from those kind of stories that the MC is boring, the best friend is man-crazy and there is a mean girl dating the popular guy, but then the MC goes to detention with the bad boy that is a gang leader… I think you got the idea.
Help some authors who have no idea of how to escape these total cliches to write a story that isn’t like 90% of the stories we read everyday.
I’ll start:
MC has opinions and values of her own and she doesn’t treat people like trash, even if they are trashy. (Is trashy even a word?)
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The thing about clichés is that they exist for a reason. That’s not to say that I enjoy seeing them left, right and centre. But I do sometimes enjoy seeing them, if they’re done well.
The issue with trying to steer in the complete opposite direction of one cliché is that you often hit another. Or you hit a plot point that is boring/doesn’t fit/doesn’t make sense.
So anyway, to answer the question you actually asked (sorry for waffling, I always do that), to avoid clichés, just write your own story.
That sounds like stupid, obvious, pointless advice. But a lot of the time when people write clichés, I think it’s because they’ve seen them do well and think that that’s all it takes and try to imitate something they’ve seen. Just write yours.
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Make your MC unique, fully-fleshed, realistic
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Be able to explain any part of your story. Sometimes clichés are horrible because they don’t even make sense. Make sure you know what’s going on before you expect a reader to just accept the MC’s perfect grade despite her life as a werewolf or whatever (I dunno, terrible example.)
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Genre is very important!! Cliché can have a very different meaning/use when it comes to comedy or drama, for example.
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