THESE ARE MY FAVOURITE ROMANTIC CLICHÉS AND
STORYLINES – MARGARET TANNER
I write historical romance, so maybe my
take on the cliché and storylines is different from that of contemporary
romance authors.
I like to base my stories around:
Love lost and foundThe rogue makes good
The poor girl and the rich man
The soft sweet heroine taming the ruthless hero. (This is a particular favourite of mine and one I use a lot).
Then there are the three “Rs” – Revenge,
Retribution and Redemption.
There again, what about the clichés used
in novels. You know what I mean, those overused phrases:
Crushed her against his hard maleness
Her heart fluttered like a caged birdThe night was as black as ink.
A million stars twinkled
She ran like the wind
He covered her face with hot kisses
His warm breath fanned her cheeks
Cold as ice
The blood flowed through her veins like molten lava.
I have to confess to having used them
myself, but in all honesty, I doubt that there would be one romance author who
could say she hadn’t used some of these lines at some time or another.
My real favourite is the one that
Barbara Cartland, the queen of romance, used for her hero in nearly everyone
one of her romance novels. “He was a rake who had lived a life of debauchery.”
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see anything
wrong with using these clichés, I think they set the scene very well. Many
editors don’t like them, of course. The secret is – use them sparingly.
My take is this: If you want to use clichés be selective. If
all else fails you can invent a few of your own.
Margaret writes historical romance set
mainly in Australia. Her latest release, The Loves We Left Behind, is a 3 book
Combo (three separate novels, all stand-alone stories in the one book.) This is a special release to mark the
centenary of the 1st World War.
It tells the stories of three different
women who triumph over loss, heartache and betrayal.
THE LOVES WE LEFT BEHIND:
A hundred years ago, from the far
flung corners of the British Empire, young men rushed to fight for Mother
England. They left their wives and sweethearts behind. Many of these brave
women waited in vain for their men folk to return. How did they cope with the
loss and heartache? Could they ever hope to find happiness with another man? Three
full novels, each telling a brave young woman’s story of triumph over tragedy
and adversity. Allison’s War, Daring Masquerade and Lauren’s Dilemma.
http://amzn.com/B00MASTCHM
Available in Print also from your
favourite bookstore.
Knowing cliches also helps when you're doing crossword puzzles, especially the large Sunday ones. I'm sure I've used them and I've also invented ones of my own that I've used in several books. Problem is they're often spot on and oh so tempting to use.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Janet! As a NY Times crossword puzzle addict, I have found it helpful to be aware of those clichés. And Margaret, what a great blog post. Another thing about clichés is that if you're aware of them, you can avoid them:-)
DeleteHi Janet,
DeleteThanks for stopping by. Yes, I guess they would be a great help in crosswords, never thought about that.
Cheers
Margaret
Hi Kathy
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. I have to confess I am not into crosswords, but I have heard they can be addictive.
Cheers
Margaret
Margaret, Crosswords are addictive. I now do them online, which helps. They're tough on the eyes :-(
DeleteI try very hard not to use clichés in my stories, but I'm sure you'll find the occasional one. It can be awfully hard not to use them at times, because sometimes they are exactly what is needed to get the point across.
ReplyDeleteBut as writers, we must be creative.... even if it kills us in the process!
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. It is hard not to use clichés in our stories, I confess to using them sometimes, because as you so rightly say they are exactly what is needed to get the point across.
Regards
Margaret
Just the same for contemporary romances too Margaret. I recognise them all:-) Good luck with sales.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Margaret