Common Clichés in Your Writing
There are many distinctive features of masterly writing, and clichés aren’t among them. Clichés are stock phrases that you read so commonly they’re almost meaningless, like “clear as a bell” or “the fact of the matter.” Such phrases bore attentive readers and can suggest laziness or even a lack of originality. So it’s wise to avoid clichés in your writing—either by striking them outright or reworking your ideas to make them more your own. Because clichés abound (they wouldn’t be clichés if they were rare, after all), you may feel so used to seeing some that you barely notice them. Spotting and remedying clichés in your writing takes practice and care, so we offer some tips below. First, what exactly is a cliché? Clichés come in several forms. Many are tired sayings and metaphors that evoke zilch. There are lifeless similes like the aforementioned “clear as a bell” or the similarly bland “clear as day,” which scarcely conjures sunshine. And the fact of the matter is some are needl...