All That Glitters Isn't Gold When It Comes to Clichés

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when we’re looking for a way to put all our eggs in one basket. (Please don’t ever write that sentence, not only because it doesn’t make sense but also because you should banish clichés from your vocabulary.)

Here’s the thing: clichés are clichés because they are true so it can be tempting to want to use words that you’re familiar with in order to describe something. But you’re a writer and writers come up with their own ways of saying things.

We use clichés when we’re not being specific or are afraid to really drill down on what happened and so we lean on expressions we’ve heard a lot instead of reaching inside for our truth.

Not sure if something’s a cliché? There are websites that can tell you. But if you think it may be, it probably is.

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