“If you do something that's really original, you discover why everybody else does it the other way, usually. There's a reason cliches exist, 'cause they work.” IfsWayDoeReasonCausesOriginalsCliche Author:Doug Liman
“Cliche refers to words, commonplace to ideas. Cliche describes the form or the letter, commonplace the substance or spirit. To confuse them is to confuse the thought with the expression of the thought. The cliche is immediately perceivable; the commonplace very often escapes notice if decked out in original dress. There are few examples, in any literature, of new ideas expressed in original form. The most critical mind must often be content with one or the other of these pleasures, only too happy when it is not deprived of both at once, which is not too rarely the case.” IfsMindIdeasFormSpiritLiteraturePleasureCasesExampleExpressionLettersOriginalsDressesCriticalSubstanceNew IdeasDeprivedClicheCommonplaceOften Is Author:Remy de Gourmont
“For someone who is starting out on developing their critical skills, just being aware of its existence is great: it can make the difference between trying to write a story around a cliche or an original idea, and better still, studying it can eventually clue you in on how to breathe new life into tired tropes.” WritingTryingStillsIdeasStoriesDifferencesExistenceStudySkillsOriginalsTiredStartingCriticalBreatheDevelopingJust BeingNew LifeClueClicheStarting OutOriginal IdeasTropes Author:Charles Stross
“Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.” IfsLongHas BeensSaidLong TimeOriginalsTimingLong Time AgoClicheTiming Is Everything Author:Demetri Martin
“The reason the art world doesn't respond to Kinkade is because none - not one - of his ideas about subject-matter, surface, color, composition, touch, scale, form, or skill is remotely original. They're all cliche and already told.” WorldArtIdeasMatterReasonFormSubjectsColorSkillsOriginalsSurfaceScalesCompositionClicheSubject MatterArt World Author:Jerry Saltz
“Desi, Desi, Desi what am I going to do with you? (Kyrian) Don't you dare take that flippant tone with me! (Desiderius) Why ever not? (Kyrian) Because I am not some scared little Daimon to run cringing from you. I am your worst nightmare. (Desiderius) Must you resort to cliches? C'mon, Desidisastrous, couldn't you think of anything more original than that B-movie dialogue staple? (Kyrian)” ThinkingLittlesRunningWorstOriginalsScaredDareDialogueToneNightmareResortsClicheStaplesWorst NightmaresFlippant Author:Sherrilyn Kenyon
“The average man never really thinks from end to end of his life. The mental activity of such people is only a mouthing of cliches. What they mistake for thought is simply a repetition of what they have heard. My guess is that well over 80 percent of the human race goes through life without having a single original thought.” PeopleThinkingMenHumansWellsEndsRaceMistakeHeardActivityPercentOriginalsAveragePositive AtheismHuman RaceRepetitionClicheAverage ManOriginal Thought Author:H. L. Mencken
“If your mind is at work, we're in danger of reproducing another cliche. If we can keep our minds out of it and our thoughts out of it, maybe we'll come up with something original.” IfsMindDangerOriginalsCome UpOur ThoughtsClicheReproducing Author:Peter Falk