Nobody ever said plotting was easy. And because it's not easy, an alarming number of writers settle for so-called 'plot cliches'. Although the cliched situations that follow can appear in any story, some are more likely to be seen in a particular genre. For example, romance writer Francesca Hawley's blog has an amusing post on Heroines Too Stupid to Live. Number 3 on her list of plot cliches is "I shall allow a minor misunderstanding to become a major issue, when a simple conversation would have cleared matters up on page 10." While this plot cliche is by no means exclusive to romance novels, it does appear rather a lot!
For those who enjoy fantasy (or any writer who just likes a good laugh) Peter Anspach's "The Top 100 Things I'd Do if I Ever Became an Evil Overlord" shows the dumb mistakes that allow the villain to be killed or captured. Most readers will recognise the plot weaknesses shown here.
What is a Plot Cliche?
A cliche is an idea that has been overused to the point of losing its original effect or novelty, especially when at some stage it was considered to be 'different'. Plot cliches may never have been particularly effective, but they certainly overused enough to make most readers grind their teeth. (It's probably not coincidental that they also make the hero/heroine/villain look stupid.) Cliches can appear anywhere in the novel: the early chapters, the middle or at the end.
Four Examples of Plot Cliches
- The scene where the sleuth or main character hears from someone that they have some vital information to share... only to be thwarted because that person dies, leaves town or ends up in a coma before the information is passed on.
- The bitchy female who features as the hero's "other love interest". Sometimes this female villain is fooling herself; sometimes the hero really does fancy her (for what reason the reader cannot imagine, since it's as painfully obvious that she'd be hell to live with). However, the said bitchy female usually convinces the heroine to give up the hero by telling some transparent lie. The rest of the story hinges on hero/heroine's willingness to believe the lie. Yawn.
- The villain who delays killing the hero because he's either boasting about how clever he is or he wants to prove that even if he unties the hero he can still beat him. Naturally the hero seizes the opportunity and wins the day.
- The 'idiot in the cellar' cliche. The electricity has been cut off, there's a storm raging and there's no chance of help... yet the heroine (who has already been the recipient of threats or knows there's a maniac on the loose) tremblingly takes a candle and creeps down the cellar stairs to investigate a noise. Duh. This is often accompanied by another scene featuring the 'idiot who meets a suspect in a remote place without telling anyone' cliche.
There are hundreds more plot cliches. Some of them can be found on the two sites mentioned earlier; others by doing a search on the Internet.
How Can Writers Avoid Cliched Plots?
It's all very well knowing that writers should avoid cliches, but how easy is it to come up with something different? The answer: easier than most authors think. Here are a few quick tips:
- If a writer can remember the same situation occurring in numerous novels, then it's likely to be a cliched situation.
- If a character's action shows a grievous lack of common sense, treat it as a danger sign. The writer should think "What would I do in this situation? Would I do what I'm planning to make the character do - or would I be more practical?" It's the sign of a lazy writer to allow a character to do something stupid just to move the plot forward.
- 3. Establish a personal list of plot situations that have proved to be annoying. Every author should 'read like a writer'. Often, salutary lessons can be learned from what other writers do wrong.
Plot cliches are a red flag to an editor. They signal that the writer has not yet reached a publishable standard. A few days spent on refining a plot in the early stages will pay off in an increased chance of getting a 'yes' rather than a 'no' from a publisher.
More examples of what to avoid: Four Plot Endings That Publishers Do Not Want.
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