What are the cliches to avoid as a writer with a protagnist who is a writer?
October 15, 2009 by
Filed under cliches
This question is for any avid readers, aspring writers out there like myself, or any full blown authors out there who may be answering. I read a review which said that it’s hard to avoid cliches when writing a story with a protagnist who is a writer, but the review never really went into depth about this. I was wondering if anyone knew what the cliches are. I would really like to know since I am curently composing a story about a writer.
Well, honestly I think having the protagonist be a writer is itself a bit of a cliche. Writing’s not that interesting–you just sit there and type (like an office job without the paychecks). And I come across an awful lot of stories where the narrator is a writer; it would be nice to read about some other professions as well (and ones a lot better represented in the society at large).
Try not to make the writer submissive, or a good guy/girl who’s life seems to be going down the drain, but then, miraculously, everything seems to go perfect!
Make the person as real as possible. No huge mansions or crazy sex lives. Real is good. Gaudy is annoying.
Give the protagonist a peter parker-esque flair. Not perfect. I like that alot.
That’s some advice I can offer. I love reading!
It is very cliche. It has been done a LOT especially lately. Oddly, I haven’t really read any that actually made the protagonist really sound like a writer or do the things a writer does.
Cliches include – writers who are bipolar or depressed, writers who fall upon real mysteries while researching book mysteries, eccentric writers … there are just SO many. I just read Death by Chick Lit – which was a satirical play on the stereotypical, cliche story about authors. It was cliche to the max – intentionally.
The thing is – if you have done your character study of the person first, there shouldn’t be any cliches. Being a writer isn’t a character trait – it is just an occupation. Technically, you could write your entire character study for the person, then hang an occupation on them. He could be a butcher and have the same personality traits. Just make him a fleshed out person with a rich past, a full present and dreams for the future. If you have that kind of depth in a character, then give them the writing profession almost as an afterthought, it won’t be cliche. If you start by making them an author, THEN trying to make them a fleshed out person, you will have a hard time avoiding cliche. It is all in how you approach the character. Does being a writer define HIM or is it the other way around?
Pax – C