Clichés and Tropes: Roll With It

It's entirely possible to avoid all clichés and tropes. Yeah. Totally. But I really don't want to read whatever you come up with if you manage it. 

First off, let me throw the definitions of cliché and trope at you:

Cliché: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought

Trope: a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression

First, 'overused' is subjective. Longtime fans are the ones who usually decide this is a burden for sheer volume of books under their belt but, for some readers, this may actually be their first experience with the subject. The problem with clichés is that we often assume everyone is in on the usage to some extent. However, it's often how we use the cliché that can determine whether it's confusing, overdone or morphing into something refreshing and original. Yes, I know; cliché is, by definition unoriginal and overused, but it is ALSO comfortable and revisited for a reason-- it is popular and can save you a lot of explanation. Ideas can be born from clichés and decide not to adhere to them, just serve as a solid base for your new take on it.

To expand on what a trope is, I'll use fantasy examples. "Chosen One" "Prophecy" "Dragon Slayer" "Damsel in Distress" Each of these usually gives you a basic understanding for what to expect from the character or the story, but again, you can take the 'expected' and change it up to defy expectation. What if your Chosen One is not the protagonist or you focus on who people assume is the Chosen One, but isn't? What if the details of a prophecy come true but it fizzles out, completely wrong at the end? What if the Dragon Slayer is just a knight that pretends to kill the dragon, but they're really in cahoots-- at least until the dragon decides his partner isn't useful, makes him lunch, then looks for a new knight to help him build his hoard of gold? What if the Damsel in Distress is a straight man who just likes wearing women's clothing, but really bad at staying out of trouble?

(I'm sure authors may have actually done these, but they're not the normal take on the formation of the original trope.)

You can see why it's completely useless, if not tedious, to attempt to avoid these. Some authors, even outside of fanfiction, are often inspired to explore a beloved theme and they may even choose to use some colloquialisms or familiar expressions. They may even use puns and other vilified strategies. Focusing on doing what hasn't been done does not promise that it will even be interesting. One of my favorite scenes from Alice Through the Looking Glass was where they torment Time with time puns. If you were to take out this scene based on its sin of unoriginal thought, then you'd miss out on how effective it is because of its willingness to make fun of itself. One of the real challenges of being a writer isn't finding 'original' ideas. It's how you maneuver existing ideas, how you use your voice, your style, your insight, your humor-- you get the gist, but use what you have at your disposal to make it different. Dissect why the moods in scenes from your favorite media work. Look at comedy, drama, sadness, anger, suspense, and you'll start to see that it's not being original that endeared you to it-- it's the way it was approached and handled.

People throw words like 'unoriginal' into the mix without understanding it is simply a concept to maneuver into a lower position on the list. You're not going to make it disappear altogether but if you can strengthen its mood, dialogue, plot and interest to a place where that word doesn't make the top ten to describe it, count it a success. 

It's okay and even impossible to not be unoriginal, but endeavor to not be boring. That's the real crime in storytelling. 

Be aware of your usage; another strategy before I tie this up. If you use a groan-worthy pun, immediately make fun of it or prepare a good reaction. Pretending it isn't there or shrugging it off is often a missed opportunity. If you're a fantasy writer, you might consider using your own vocabulary with the mythos you're building. Tread carefully though. In one of my groups, a writer threw out a sci-fi piece where the character kept using 'what the supernova...' and it was horribly distracting and cheesy. The problem with word substitution is that it can completely ruin immersion if it's just thrown in willy-nilly and overdone. However, it can be organic if you introduce these idioms or substitutions after you establish a basis for why. Just... don't do it from the onset and pretend it's completely natural or even serious. A wise and bitchy chick once said, don't try to make 'fetch' happen. Even in worlds where you build the logic, your reader is the newborn you're trying to keep from kicking and screaming. Sure, some fantasies roll right into piling on the nonsense, so there's no rule here, but if you're getting a lot of resistance for your ideas, lack of awareness might be your main culprit.

What is an 'aware' story? It's one that understands the potential audience and the logic of fiction simultaneously, for one. It's one that shows a knowledge for the characters and the world, but also in the biases or general reactions from many angles. When a comedian tries a new joke and it bombs, they usually prepare for the reaction with their own brand of self-deprecation or adjust what they say next to that reaction. If they see that their audience reacts badly, then they are aware that this was a possibility and adjust accordingly. They don't back away from controversy, but they do often change presentation to achieve what they want out of their routine. A novelist has to use different tactics-- beta readers, research-- once published, we're locked into those decisions, so our tactics depend on our medium. Awareness means we add consideration and dimension to what we use.

So don't waste time trying to avoid what's already been done. The best work is often just an improvement of something already done. Just make sure you're not delving into the territory of plagiarism. Borrowing or inspired by is one thing, but tread carefully with how much direct source material you're lifting. Another thing to be aware of.