When Do You Throw in the Towel?

And other cliches never to use. Just saying. As a friend.

One thing I’ve learned in 15 years of writing unpublishable drafts, is never, never, never use cliches. Editors hate them. And I promise, cliches will put your readers to sleep. So I’ve added a number of cliches to this post. Because laughter is sometimes the best medicine. (hehe)

No, seriously. I don’t care how good your action is. Even though actions speak louder than words, a cliche will kill it dead. It’s true, all that glitters is not gold. Your writing may be a a dish fit for a king, or it may be ugly as sin. But a cliche is the quickest way to naptime that I can think of. Your reader can read between the lines.

Am I beating a dead horse?

All joking aside, as creative people, we can do better than that, can’t we?

I believe so.

Lately I’ve noticed how the entertainment industry recycles the same stories over and over. Don’t believe me? I found a list of eight remakes/reboots coming out this year. This year! In case you missed the memo, I found others too, for a total of 12 recycled stories. That doesn’t include the continued series, the rebooted series, and the Disney re-releases. Just in case you missed the movie the first time, or loved it so much you want to watch it again. Maybe it was the best thing since sliced bread. (Or not.)

It was a blast from the past.

The truth is, IMHO, there are no new stories. Hollywood and the streaming channels keep a series going way past their expiration date. So much so, that the characters and the stories have become cliche. Are the movie makers laughing all the way to the bank? Perhaps.

I know it sounds like I’m up on my soapbox. But I think I’m preaching to the choir.

The truth is, I’m probably a little sad that I have to throw in the towel. I’m not pitching my manuscripts to agents any more. I’ve decided to change my line of attack. I want to call the shots in my writing career, and in what I put on the page. No pun intended.

And I’m scared out of my wits.

I’m not a Jack of all trades. Publishing and marketing a book is not easy as pie. I’ve poured my blood sweat and tears into my books, and I’m not willing to give up the ghost. I see the diamond in the rough. Probably because love is blind. I do love my fictional friends.

All you need is love.

Yes, I love my stories. I love my characters and I love putting them through hell and high water. (Forehead slap.)

Did I open a can of worms?

So I’m not raising a white flag, I’m taking back my power. I see the silver lining in my process, and I refuse to cry over spilled milk. Instead, I’m going to climb every mountain. I won’t stop till I reach the top.

Because I believe in the power of my stories. I want to read and write stories that are beyond the pale. Stories with unique characters who make interesting and difficult choices. Stories that make me cry or shout for joy because of an unexpected and delightful ending.

What are you reading or writing? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Bonus: If you can count all the cliches in this post, I’ll send you a signed copy of my new book, The Cliff Diver. (BTW, this story is not cliche, but it does have an HEA romantic ending.) Message your answers privately, we don’t want to give the answer away.