To Cliché or Not to Cliché

Today I would like to discuss the use of clichés.

No! Wait! Don’t run off yet. Clichés can be good when used properly. If you don’t believe me would you believe Terry Pratchett? He once said, “The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers of the communication toolbox.” I prefer to think of them as the culinary equivalent to salt and pepper. Too much of one or the other can ruin your creation, but can be heavenly when used in the right proportions.

Storytelling throughout the ages has remained relatively unchanged. Whether you begin your story with “Once upon a time...” or “In a galaxy far far away…” there are no new concepts, that is why we use clichés or follow formulas. Formulas aren’t bad. The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell tells you the basic formula for writing that can be found in any of this summer’s blockbuster movies or in ancient texts written on papyrus. You learn the basics by using formulas and then get creative as you get more experience.

Clichés have been used by storytellers since the beginning of time to entertain and convey ideas to each new generation. They are simple to use (or overuse) and easily recognized. Some cliché characters are the wicked queen or evil stepmother, the scrappy young hero, the wise old mentor and the one girl born in a generation to fight evil. You get the idea.

Famous television shows and movies revel in clichés. The movie Scream was a hit that spawned numerous sequels because it lampooned horror movie clichés while it at the same time embraced them. Ever hear of Joss Whendon or Stan Lee? Nuff said.  

There is a down side to clichés. It can be easy to overuse them or just plain write them poorly. Instead of being clever and funny your story becomes a tired joke. For every Scream there is a Van Helsing. Don’t get me wrong, Hugh Jackman is completely hot in this movie but it doesn’t make up for the fact that this movie had so many vampire/monster movie clichés that it has spawned its own set of rules. One of the clichés in the movie is that high heels and corsets are appropriate vampire hunting clothes. If I have to do acrobatic leaps and jumps I’ll take some loose sweats and comfy workout shoes thank you very much.

What makes the difference between good clichés and bad? Well that is subjective. For every person who thinks a cliché is new and awesome there is someone else who feels it’s trite and overdone. You can’t please everyone.

The best thing I can recommend is hop out on the web and research clichés for yourself. By learning about which clichés work and which don’t you will be able to recognize them in your writing.

Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan

Rejection – Such Sweet Sorrow

Okay, so you’ve sent off your manuscript to an agent or publisher. After weeks (or months) of nail biting that makes your manicurist want to beat you with a buffing pad, you finally receive a response. With trembling hands you open the email (or letter) and your heart breaks. Sorry Kid, not this time.

Your dreams are shattered and world is set askew. Do you BBQ your manuscript or throw your laptop out the window? No – especially if you live above the first floor. You don’t want to inadvertently maim someone.

Some of the top authors today sent out HUNDREDS of manuscripts before signing with an agent or publisher. Take JK Rowling and Jim Butcher just to name a few. Do you think they gave up after a couple of rejections? No way! They kept on trying and now are household names.

There are a variety of reasons your manuscript may have gotten rejected.

Did you have a good query letter?

If you don’t know what a query letter is stop right there! You may have found the answer to why you were rejected. A query letter to an agent or publisher is like a job interview. Why should this person/company represent you? You have to sell yourself. Go online or take a class on writing a good query letter. It will save you and the people you are submitting to a lot of headaches.

A bad query letter is like walking into an interview wearing cut offs and a t-shirt that says “Free Breast Exams” and saying you want a six figure income. Not gonna happen! There are sites all over the web showing examples of bad query letters. Go ahead and check them out… I’ll wait right here.

Pretty bad huh? Did you see any mistakes you might have made in the showcase of shame? Buck up! Learn from your mistakes and create a better query letter. It would be a good idea to have some of your critique partners take a look at it before you send it out. You don’t have any critique partners? Well that’s issue for another time.

Did you research the agency/publisher?

There are all flavors of agents and publishers out there and they each have their own likes and dislikes. You need to find out who fits your manuscript. Read the agent/publisher’s guidelines. They don’t put them up there for nothing. You wouldn’t send a gothic horror to an agent who deals in children’s books would you? If you did that’s probably why you got rejected – you sick puppy!

It cannot be stressed enough to do your research. Look at some published authors that match your genre and see where they are represented and send your stuff there. Tell them why you are sending your manuscript to them. Just don’t tell them that you’re the next big “Insert their leading author here.”

Was your manuscript formatted properly?

This goes back to checking the agent/publisher’s guidelines. If they don’t like attachments don’t send your manuscript as an attachment. Put it in the body of the email right under your query letter. Many spam filters will just junk anything with an attachment so be forewarned.

In closing, there are hundreds of reasons why you might have been rejected. Don’t take it personally its just business. Wear your rejection like a badge of honor. You’ve at least had the courage to take the next step and remember what Dory the fish sang. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.”

Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan

Writers: Jack of All Trades

Jacks of All Trades – Masters of One (or more)

Writers are the Jacks of All Trades because we have to learn a little bit about everything to create a believable story for our readers. To make a believable story you have to research the material, whether it is bee keeping or submarines. You can’t write a scene without knowing a little what you are describing.

 In a naval suspense the captain can’t yell to the crew to look out the above the water lookie thing and keep an ear to the machine that goes ping. A good writer must know the correct terminology and have a feel for the environment they are trying to portray. I’m not saying you have to go spend time on a submarine or take up bee keeping. Far from it, there are many great resources you can utilize.

Explore the internet but don’t take everything you hear as absolute truth. Be prepared to sit down at your computer or laptop and really work your search engine. Keep a notepad up so you can jot down websites and links so you don’t get lost.

Check out your local library. You can find a lot of great books on a variety of subjects. You may even find a group that meets to discuss the topic of your interest. People who do reenactments are usually willing to share (or overshare) what they know on a subject.

Talk to the family records keeper, who knows you might find some really fascinating information that might turn into a book later.  

Take a class/seminar. If you belong to a writer’s guild (and it really helps if you do) you will find a huge amount of classes and seminars available to you. Many are designed to help you polish your writing skills but some focus on interesting topics like forensics, Steampunk, and history to name a few.

If you want to be a good writer then you have to keep learning!

Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan

Getting the 'Crit' out of Your Critique Groups

Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned author you need a good group of people to critique your work. Finding your critique group or ‘beta readers’ is an important part of the writing process.

Why do you need beta readers?

Because you’re going to make mistakes. Having extra sets of eyes checking out your work really helps catch any formatting or structural issues.

You can’t trust Word to catch all your mistakes. It won’t catch little things like the wrong word in the wrong place. Don’t get me started on semi-colons, really you don’t want to go there. Word is all like “Hey – you should really use a semi-colon here, here and here” and you’re like “Oh wow. Thank you magic paperclip! What would I ever do without you?”

Too many semi-colons are like speed bumps, they disrupt the flow of your story. Technically they are correct but people don’t think like that.

If you’re worried that you’ll lose your story to your beta’s opinions don’t be. It’s your work and you ultimately decide what you’ll change and what will stay the same. That’s why it’s good to have more than one beta reader. One person may not like a certain style or the way you write something while others may think it’s just fine.

Always remember to thank your betas. They work hard to help you make your story the best it can be.

Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan

A Writer Writes

I remember talking to another aspiring writer at a book signing several months ago (sadly not one of our books) and she said something that really stuck.

"Anything worth writing is worth writing poorly."

That is an interesting theory and I can agee with it in some ways.

First, get your idea on paper, whether it be a quick jot on a napkin or a thorough outline. Get it down and flesh it out. Otherwise you might put it off until you forget it. I have a handy little notepad app on my Android phone that lets me save all the little ideas that pop into my head at any givin time (except for driving!)

Next, write the story. Unless you are a writing prodigy you will have many rewrites. Its all a part of the writing process. The more you write your story the better it will be, just don't over focus on perfection.

Any practice is good practice. So write your story poorly, just to get it down. You can always polish it up in the rewrites.

Just remember that a writer writes, always!


Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan

Walk with me...

Welcome fellow wanderers.

My name is Stephanie Dawn Callahan and I am an aspiring writer and torturer of characters.

"Torturer of characters?" you ask.

Oh yes, because nothing grabs and holds the attention than seeing just how much a character can endure, putting them to their breaking points and beyond.

For some it gives the power to face their own trials. "If Jessie can survive a kidnapping and chase through the dark woods only to fall into a pit trap and survive by drinking rain water until the hunky conservation agent Gavin rescues her; I can make it through this lunch meeting without sporking the presenter in the eye."

You become the characters, sharing their triumphs and sorrows, biting your nails in suspense and yelling at evilly masterful cliff hangers.

Books provide the ultimate escape and I can only hope that one day I can provide a little escape for your pleasure.

Love & Luck,

Stephanie Dawn Callahan