Novels make excellent vehicles for self-expression, especially when we occasionally let our characters speak for us.
For example, I love clichés and I
use them a lot in my "real" life. But, as all writers know, they’re frowned
upon and considered lazy writing in novels. Writers are supposed to come up
with new and innovative expressions even though clichés became clichés because
they get the point across in a way that everyone immediately understands;
they’re universal. But, that’s the way of the writing world.
So, when Olivia, the octogenarian in my Malone Mystery series, says something like “Davey, you look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” because of her age, she can get by with it. I smile every time she does.
So, when Olivia, the octogenarian in my Malone Mystery series, says something like “Davey, you look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” because of her age, she can get by with it. I smile every time she does.
And, when one of my characters
expresses an opinion or vents about something that also happens to be how I feel, it feels
good to put it on paper. For example, I'm tired of all the commercials on TV, especially the medical/pharmaceutical ones, and I mute most of them. As it happens,
Louise, another character in my Malone series, feels the same
way.
She wanted to throw something at her TV and shatter the screen when she saw the constant barrage of advertisements for one pill after another to treat everything from depression to a leaky bladder. The only thing that stopped her from destroying her television set was knowing how much it would cost to replace it.
Now mind you, Louise is not one of
my most likeable characters but she does make some valid points.
Kate, the main character in Secrets in Storyville, my first small
town mystery, is definitely - to use a cliché - "a woman after my own heart." She knows when to say the right thing while
thinking something entirely different.
In the book . . . Kate has a flat tire and, just as she’s about to change it:
In the book . . . Kate has a flat tire and, just as she’s about to change it:
I
turned around and saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing jeans, a red flannel
shirt and boots get out of a blue pickup truck. As he walked toward me, I
couldn’t help noticing how good looking he was.
“Can
I give you a hand?”
A hand, a foot, your whole body. Instead,
I said, “Oh, that’s okay. I think I’ve got it figured out.”
Good post, Pat. I think it's really difficult to stay away from cliches in stories. People actually use a lot of them in day-to-day speech. However, like you say, it's frowned upon in books. Oh, well...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marja. I wonder who made that rule? LOL
DeleteIt feels great to be able to get things we are really thinking out as a character's thoughts or dialog in a novel. I know I've done it a lot. Those darn characters can say anything they like. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYes they can, Evelyn! Unlike in the "real" world where it seems people are so easily offended these days. And, no matter what a person says, there will be someone who wants to argue about it. I prefer my drama in books and movies. LOL
DeletePat,
ReplyDeleteSo true! It's great when characters connect with us and observe things we're thinking as well.
Just one of the reasons I love to write fiction, Jacquie. :)
DeleteI like cliches, although where some come from is beyond me!, and it is a challenge not to use them in narrative. Love when characters use though, gives them pizazz! Great post.
ReplyDeleteMadeline, it IS interesting to learn where cliches came from. Might be a good idea for one of my posts in the future. :)
DeleteI use cliches frequently, especially when I'm talking to my kids. Once in a while I'll use them in my writing, but I always try to be aware of it so they don't become overwhelming. Great post, Pat! And I love it when Olivia uses her cliches or Ann uses her Nana's cliches.
ReplyDeleteAmy, the fact that, with all the books we read, you remembered Ann and her Nana from my Malone mysteries put a big smile on my face. Thank you!
Delete