1. Avoid or reimagine clich\u00e9 phrases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Clich\u00e9s aren\u2019t always bad. In fact, they can be poignant, impactful phrases with slight reimagining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a reason new writers default to using clich\u00e9s\u2014they\u2019re easy! Clich\u00e9s are phrases and terms that have been in general public use for so long that they\u2019re easily understandable for most people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples of clich\u00e9 phrases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Gilded cage<\/li>
- Head over heels<\/li>
- Only time will tell<\/li>
- The calm before the storm<\/li>
- Kiss and makeup <\/li>
- Low-hanging fruit<\/li>
- I stopped dead in my tracks<\/li>
- Put out feelers<\/li>
- Rain on my parade<\/li>
- Stabbed him in the back<\/li>
- Fire in my blood<\/li>
- Blood ran cold<\/li>
- Digging yourself into a hole<\/li>
- Get your toes wet<\/li>
- Stealing candy from a baby<\/li>
- Right up your alley<\/li>
- Play your cards right<\/li>
- All bets are off<\/li>
- All in due time<\/li>
- Batten down the hatches<\/li>
- Pot calling the kettle black<\/li>
- On thin ice<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Clich\u00e9s are a shortcut to slice right to the meaning of something without having to come up with your own words for it. That\u2019s why using clich\u00e9s can make a writer look lazy. They\u2019re just reusing something that someone else wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that doesn\u2019t mean you should never use them! Intentional writers can take a clich\u00e9 and turn it on its head<\/a> to bring new life to an old adage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look at this advice from <\/strong>Self-Editing for Fiction Writers<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026before going with the clich\u00e9, give some thought to the possibility of \u201cturning\u201d it, altering it slightly to render the phrasing less familiar. In a celebrated novel we edited, the writer used the phrase \u201cthey vanished into thin air\u201d to avoid a lengthy, complicated explanation. We suggested a change to \u201cthey vanished into thick air,\u201d which fit the poetic, steamy atmosphere of the European city in which the scene was set.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The swap-up doesn\u2019t have to be big! The tiny edit of switching \u201cthick\u201d for \u201cthin\u201d was enough to doctor up that clich\u00e9 and make it fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Changing a word, the order of words, or adding words to a clich\u00e9 are easy ways to give them a new spin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s opening a can of worms,\u201d could become, \u201cshe\u2019s opening a can of worms and eating them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll cross that bridge when we get to it\u201d can be combined with, \u201cburning bridges,\u201d to become, \u201cWe\u2019ll burn that bridge when we get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTime flies,\u201d could become, \u201ctime flies until the engine burns out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDiamond in the rough\u201d can be changed with just one additional word: \u201cBlood diamond in the rough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t be afraid of using clich\u00e9s\u2014just be cool about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Get specific<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When tapping into the emotional side of prose, specificity is often a writer\u2019s best friend. Anyone can make vague, sweeping statements to try and convince a reader they\u2019re feeling something, but a skilled writer can zoom into emotional details to tap into those emotions naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like Richard Price<\/a> said\u2014 \u201cThe bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don\u2019t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid\u2019s burnt socks lying in the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focusing on the small details is often where you\u2019ll find the emotion of a scene, which will give you more room to write it beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Unexpected turns of phrase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t always go for the most obvious thing! Diverting the expectations of how a sentence will end can really wake up your reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This obviously counts for repurposing clich\u00e9s, like we talked about earlier, but it can also apply to any sentence that might be more predictable than you\u2019d like it to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an extreme example: \u201cI woke up that morning, got dressed, ate breakfast, walked the dog, and tripped over the severed arm of my next door neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This concept can also be as simple as swapping a single expected word for something else. I try to do this in my own writing\u2014for example, this sentence from Mother<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA child was raised on stories of crows\u2014dark creatures with black intentions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expected phrasing would be \u201cblack creatures with dark intentions,\u201d but a slight reshuffling of those two words makes it a fresher sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using unexpected phrasing can shake your reader\u2019s attention and keep them engaged with the story and prose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Be accurate and concise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Heavy-handed prose isn\u2019t going to make your imagery more effective. Often, less is more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use however many words you need to convey your point, but try to trim back on superfluous prose and really nail down the meat of the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writing beautiful prose is similar to writing poetry. You want every word and image to carry its weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many poets will write a first draft of a poem, then pick one or two very strong lines from that draft to write a new poem around. Repeat until every word and line of the poem is as strong as it can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authors who write beautiful prose consider every word and image, weigh their effect, and make adjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Rhythm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Writing beautiful prose isn\u2019t just about word usage and imagery\u2014the rhythm of a piece is just as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several factors can influence the rhythm of a bit of writing, including sentence length, syllable balance, internal rhymes, assonance, alliteration\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sentence length and syllables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The sentence length and syllable count can affect the way a reader paces the scene in their head. Long, flowy sentences can give a feeling of calmness. Long, choppy sentences can make a reader fly through it, giving a sense of speed and urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shorter sentences might give a feeling of hesitation or confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lots of medium-length sentences can make it seem like time is moving slower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within different sentence lengths, your word choice and length can determine how the pacing and mood come across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading your work out loud is very helpful in gauging how the pacing is affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI inhaled. The concrete pricked my bare feet. I grabbed the ladder rung and steeled myself. Swallowed. The crowd quieted as I took my spot on the diving board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI inhaled and focused on the concrete picking at my bare feet before gripping the ladder rung and hoisting myself onto the diving board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same event is happening in both of those examples, but they have drastically different pacing. What do you feel is the mood of each sentence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rhymes, assonance, alliteration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While outright rhyming in regular fiction prose would probably stand out as odd and distracting, utilizing literary elements like internal rhymes, assonance, and alliteration in certain bits of prose can make it musical and poetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So depending on your goals and vibe, doing a little bit of poetry in your prose might be nice! Don\u2019t be afraid to play around with sounds in your writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Ending words\/sentences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The last word of a sentence carries a lot of weight. It\u2019s the last thing a reader sees of the sentence, image, or thought, so writers should consider the clause and\/or word their sentence leaves on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, the last sentence or image of a paragraph, chapter, etc., is important for the same reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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