The Cure For Predictable Plots And Other Clichés

In this post, we talk about the cure for predictable plots and other clichés.

Predictable plots work in bad soap operas. Clichés work well in corny love songs. But a whole story jam-packed with them is the kiss of death for your novel. We’ve all read stories where we think, ‘Oh, I know what’s coming next,’ or, ‘I bet he’s going to say this or that now,’ and eventually we become bored and put the book aside.

The best stories are the ones that set us up; we think we know what’s coming and then the writer turns things around, adds a twist, or takes us in a different direction. The twist can be subtle or a cliff hanger. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s unexpected.

Each story needs at least one of these. We know the hero and heroine will end up together, but what can we put as a bump or a surprise along their journey? We know the cop will catch the serial killer, but what is the sting in the tail?

The Cure For Predictable Plots And Other Clichés

It’s fine to go with a cliché at first – why not? It’s a good starting off point – but you need to rework, refine or reverse it.