Birth of Cliches 10-15-03

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="042d05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Big Ring Media Team, Inc.</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Ring Media Team, Inc."><B>home</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="043d2123.jpg"> <div> Click on this link to return to <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Subject">Word Watch by Subject</A>.</div> <div> Click on this link to go to <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Date">Word Watch by Date</A>.</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Birth of Cliches 10-15-03</I></div> <div> We know that clichés are evil things. They're phrases we toss out without regard for their origins or meanings. They're phrases readers skip over and dismiss. We carry around a mental list of clichés: dry as toast, hard as nails, between a rock and a hard spot. These we avoid.</div> <div> It's trickier to avoid emerging clichés. Occasionally we'll read something and think, “That's great. I can't wait to use it.” Unfortunately, there are millions of others out there thinking the same thing.</div> <div> Years ago our lead writer, Richard Ries, saw a phrase he loved: “...cool as the back side of a pillow.” What wonderful imagery. The simile had extra appeal as it led readers to expect a cliché - “cool as a cucumber” - then surprised them with a new ending.</div> <div> Within months, Mr. Ries saw the simile again. “A coincidence,” he thought. Then again. “Now that's derivative.” Then again. “A wonderful image has become a cliché.” (No, he never used the phrase in his writing.)</div> <div> The moral of the story is that if you see something that seems fabulous and want to use it in your work - don't. Once the phrase topples into common usage, it will weaken your work, not strengthen it. Remember that we're in the business of being creative. We score points only when we create a catchy phrase, not when we copy one.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>