Any question? Feel free to ask. I'm open to any question.

TIP:

Tip #2 Avoid Clichés

Stephen Minot defines a cliché as: "A metaphor or simile that has become so familiar from overuse that the vehicle no longer contributes any meaning whatever to the tenor. It provides neither the vividness of a fresh metaphor nor the strength of a single unmodified word. The word is also used to describe overused but nonmetaphorical expressions such as 'tried and true' and 'each and every'"

Cliché also describes other overused literary elements (Familiar plot patterns and stock characters are clichés on a big scale). Clichés can be overused themes, character types, or plots.

A work full of clichés is like a plate of old food: unappetizing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More creative writing tips:

Clichés work against original communication. People value creative talent. They want to see work that rises above the norm. When they see a work without clichés, they know the writer has worked his or her tail off, doing whatever it takes to be original. When they see a work full to the brim with clichés, they feel that the writer is not showing them anything above the ordinary. (In case you hadn't noticed, this paragraph is chock full of clichés... I'll bet you were bored to tears).

Clichés dull meaning because clichéd writing sounds so familiar. People can finish whole lines without even reading them. If they don't bother to read your poem, they certainly won't stop to think about it. If they do not stop to think about your poem, they will never encounter the deeper meanings that mark the work of an accomplished poet.

How to Improve a Cliché

I will take the cliché 'as busy as a bee' and show how you can express the same idea without cliché.

1 | Determine what the clichéd phrase is trying to say.

In this case, I can see that 'busy as a bee' is a way to describe the state of being busy.

2 | Think of an original way to describe what the cliché is trying to describe.

For this cliché, I started by thinking about busyness. I asked myself the question, "What things are associated with being busy?" I came up with: college, my friend Jessica, corporation bosses, old ladies making quilts and canning goods, and a computer, fiddlers fiddling. From this list, I selected a thing that is not as often used in association with busyness: violins.

3 | Create a phrase using the non-clichéd way of description.

I took my object associated with busyness and turned it into a phrase: "I feel like a bow fiddling an Irish reel." This phrase communicates the idea of "busyness" much better than the worn-out, familiar cliché. The reader's mind can picture the insane fury of the bow on the violin, and know that the poet is talking about a very frenzied sort of busyness. In fact, those readers who know what an Irish reel sounds like may even get a laugh out of this fresh way to describe "busyness."

Try it! Take a cliché and use these steps to improve it. You may even end up with a line you feel is good enough to put in a poem!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope this helps you all!

Tip #3 will be out tomorrow. Title: Pick A Form.

| The Balladry Awards |

~ Bube.The.Writer