In my previous blogs on characterization, I have covered the issue of clichés. Let me tell you, if there is any single offence that editors hate above all others, it is writers who use clichés.
Here are a couple of examples:
"Don't look now, but we've got company."
"It was as though I had known him all my life."
Other clichés occur in descriptions or images, such as these two:
‘The clouds were fluffy like bits of cotton wool.'
'Mr Kingsley had a heart of stone.'
The same is true of metaphors. Do not say things like: "John's father was a tower of strength", It makes the educated reader wince. More importantly, it makes editors wince.
If you submit work with clichés to a publisher, it will get rejected. Clichés truly are a sign of laziness and mark out the amateur. They are a clear indication that you have written the very first thing that came into your head, with no thought or care.
For more tips just like this one, have a look at write-for-children
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