Cliches in Writing

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Annoying, badly-written or barely-written comic reliefs who you want off the screen within 10 minutes.

Illumination.....
I M L O O K I N G @ Y O U

[Voxija]

That thing in movies that take place over a number of years but the children in the movie never age.

[Valentine Z]

Only with this MacGuffin that ONLY you alone are destined for, can you save this barren wasteland from further doom.

[Atheris]

A commonly referring theme in fanfiction; easily solvable disputes which blow up. I was guilty of this myself in the first longfic I ever wrote (which SUCKS), and it's such an easily solvable problem too. If you can't think of an easy solution to a problem, then it's not this cliche. If you can? Don't write it. Hell, even Ace Attorney is guilty of this in the fifth game as a major plot point. Granted, it makes more sense there, as the plot device was reliable in AJ and the character just went through major trauma, but he should know it only reacts to stress and not lying.

Seconding a trope I see in AA; sidelining characters and replacing their role with someone else. Trucy and Athena come to mind.

[Valentine Z]

A commonly referring theme in fanfiction; easily solvable disputes which blow up. I was guilty of this myself in the first longfic I ever wrote (which SUCKS), and it's such an easily solvable problem too. If you can't think of an easy solution to a problem, then it's not this cliche. If you can? Don't write it. Hell, even Ace Attorney is guilty of this in the fifth game as a major plot point. Granted, it makes more sense there, as the plot device was reliable in AJ and the character just went through major trauma, but he should know it only reacts to stress and not lying.

Seconding a trope I see in AA; sidelining characters and replacing their role with someone else. Trucy and Athena come to mind.

Oh man, the second bit. Happens just about everywhere, and sometimes, in opposite contrasts (see Minions above). Sidelining genuinely interesting but already underdeveloped characters... to make way for annoying bastards for 90% of the script.

[Atheris]

A commonly referring theme in fanfiction; easily solvable disputes which blow up. I was guilty of this myself in the first longfic I ever wrote (which SUCKS), and it's such an easily solvable problem too. If you can't think of an easy solution to a problem, then it's not this cliche. If you can? Don't write it. Hell, even Ace Attorney is guilty of this in the fifth game as a major plot point. Granted, it makes more sense there, as the plot device was reliable in AJ and the character just went through major trauma, but he should know it only reacts to stress and not lying.

Seconding a trope I see in AA; sidelining characters and replacing their role with someone else. Trucy and Athena come to mind.

Oh man, the second bit. Happens just about everywhere, and sometimes, in opposite contrasts (see Minions above). Sidelining genuinely interesting but already underdeveloped characters... to make way for annoying bastards for 90% of the script.

Oh, come now. I wouldn't call Athena annoying. Sure, she was a contrivance in the worst game in the mainstream series, but I like her. Add in some headcanons, and you get a nice healthy serving of autistic representation in fanfiction with a healthy dose of destabilizing the mental health of Trucy even more by making her feel like her role in the family (dynamic) is being replaced!

...I wish I was making that last part up, but me and a friend had a conversation about it a few days ago. He doesn't headcanon Athena as autistic but I do!

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Oh man, the second bit. Happens just about everywhere, and sometimes, in opposite contrasts (see Minions above). Sidelining genuinely interesting but already underdeveloped characters... to make way for annoying bastards for 90% of the script.

Terrible Writing Advice explains this really well.
In fact, the channel inspired me to make this thread.

[Forlania]

I don't if I call it a cliche so much as a style, but I absolutely, unequivocally HATE awkward humor, where you the audience are given extreme secondhand embarrassment for the character(s). I can appreciate the acting that goes into these scenes, I can appreciate the ability to evoke emotions in your viewers, but 9/10 when this situation happens I simply stop watching.
Has lead to me quitting many a show.

[Crysuko]

I've seen some Isekai and fish out of temporal water in my time, and I get massive blue balls every time because THEY NEVER ADDRESS THE CULTURE SHOCK FROM BOTH SIDES. SLEEPY HOLLOW SORTA DID BUT IT WAS SO LIMP WRISTED.

Why. My anthropology boner which draws me to these series gets disappointed every time.

[Xmara]

Technically not a cliche, but I generally dislike romance in fiction. Idk why, but any time I reach a part in a book or a movie that involves romance, all I can think is "when will they get back to the actual story?" And love triangles are the worst.

[Stellar Colonies]

Technically not a cliche, but I generally dislike romance in fiction. Idk why, but any time I reach a part in a book or a movie that involves romance, all I can think is "when will they get back to the actual story?" And love triangles are the worst.

They're so overused.

I just want to get to the actual plot, not read pages on end describing in excruciatingly painful detail about how Person A is sad or being petty or whatever because his/her crush, Person B, is with Person C.

If I wanted that (which I don't), I'd read an actual romance book.

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

That thing in movies that take place over a number of years but the children in the movie never age.

Ugh, this. Hate this cliche in movies in TV.
Or when the childrens' ages are different from in, say, the books or historical records. IT'S RIGHT THERE, LARRY! YOU DON'T NEED TO ALTER IT!

[USS Monitor]

"Honey, I can explain."

She doesn't listen to him and runs away

(It would be a much shorter story if she would listen, but that doesn't mean it's not cliché).

That can be annoying when poorly executed, but the real problem isn't the female character refusing to listen. The real problem is that many girlfriend characters aren't adequately developed, and there are too many dysfunctional relationships where it's not adequately explained why the relationship is on the rocks.

In real life, if you're a woman and your man is breaking promises, fucking up the household finances, and generally being useless -- it's not because he was being chased through the streets by giant spiders. And even if he is being chased around by giant spiders on a daily basis, it's entirely reasonable to decide that you don't want to deal with it. I'd actually like to see more stories where the hero's girlfriend walks out on him like this and doesn't come back after he saves the day.

But all of this works a lot better if you've taken the time to do some character development for both characters.

[Gran Palena]

The whole "Chosen one" thing, where someone turns out to be the key to saving the day because of a prophecy or something similar. This cliche is prominent, appearing in fantasy media like Lord of the Rings, and Science Fiction content, like Dune. For me, It's better if either:

The prophecy turns out to already be fulfilled by someone else, that there's really no day to save, and that it's all going to be alright anyways.

or......

The chosen one outright goes mad due to the immense amount of pressure put on by basically everyone else, believes it to be false, tries to ensure that nobody hears that prophecy again, and attempts to get rid of his/her mark on society, only for said prophecy to turn out to be true. (You could alter those last 10 words)

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

The whole "Chosen one" thing, where someone turns out to be the key to saving the day because of a prophecy or something similar. This cliche is prominent, appearing in fantasy media like Lord of the Rings, and Science Fiction content, like Dune. For me, It's better if either:

The prophecy turns out to already be fulfilled by someone else, that there's really no day to save, and that it's all going to be alright anyways.

or......

The chosen one outright goes mad due to the immense amount of pressure put on by basically everyone else, believing it to be false, tries to ensure that nobody hears that prophecy again, and attempts to get rid of his/her mark on society, only for said prophecy to turn out to be true. (You could alter those last 10 words)

Ugh, that trope is SO frustrating. It could have been filled by anyone, right? But NOOOOOOOO, it HAS to be the unassuming main character orphan who doesn't know much about/has been fed false stories of their past, which happens to be mysterious, and they're heckin' powerful and of course don't need FULL training to take on the BIG BAD. Because their training is always interrupted by quests/dark stuff/Dolores Freaking Umbridge. So education is irrelevant because of their natural abilities that don't need to be honed, I suppose, even if the protagonist just found out about them in Chapter 2. Also! It is revealed that this strange, lonely outcast, while "average," has had weird things happen to them all their lives as a result of their status as the CHOSEN ONE.

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Ugh, that trope is SO frustrating. It could have been filled by anyone, right? But NOOOOOOOO, it HAS to be the unassuming main character orphan who doesn't know much about/has been fed false stories of their past, which happens to be mysterious, and they're heckin' powerful and of course don't need FULL training to take on the BIG BAD. Because their training is always interrupted by quests/dark stuff/Dolores Freaking Umbridge. So education is irrelevant because of their natural abilities that don't need to be honed, I suppose, even if the protagonist just found out about them in Chapter 2. Also! It is revealed that this strange, lonely outcast, while "average," has had weird things happen to them all their lives as a result of their status as the CHOSEN ONE.

This might not belong on this forum,
but agree to disagree:
Dolores Umbridge is more hateable than Voldemort

[Free Stalliongrad]

Investigators in thrillers / detective stories who have problems with their girlfriend / wife / family. Although this does not affect the plot in any way, it only serves to make the protagonist grumpy and tired of life.

[Xmara]

Ugh, that trope is SO frustrating. It could have been filled by anyone, right? But NOOOOOOOO, it HAS to be the unassuming main character orphan who doesn't know much about/has been fed false stories of their past, which happens to be mysterious, and they're heckin' powerful and of course don't need FULL training to take on the BIG BAD. Because their training is always interrupted by quests/dark stuff/Dolores Freaking Umbridge. So education is irrelevant because of their natural abilities that don't need to be honed, I suppose, even if the protagonist just found out about them in Chapter 2. Also! It is revealed that this strange, lonely outcast, while "average," has had weird things happen to them all their lives as a result of their status as the CHOSEN ONE.

This might not belong on this forum,
but agree to disagree:
Dolores Umbridge is more hateable than Voldemort

No, no, I think most of the HP fandom hates Umbridge the most.

[Kathol Rift]

Movies and books that fall into the genre of 'Grimdark': stories that are dark, edgy and gritty for the sheer hell of it with no other reason than following trends.

Symptoms that your narrative is a casualty of Grimdark include:
- A washed-out, dark colour palette of dirty greys and blacks
- Gruff heroes with no moral compass
- Killing off characters every five minutes.
- Drowning the audience in so much depressing schlock that they don't care anymore.

Hey, I like reading and writing grimdark. It's fun.

As a counter-cliche, I rather dislike authors trying to make otherwise serious stories/books/movies too lighthearted. I'll be going through a story, in an incredibly dark, suspenseful, serious part, then a character will crack a joke that absolutely does not need to be cracked. It just pulls me out of the story. I understand that gallows humor is a thing, and it's great when done right, but it's mostly played as any other comedy and is quite overdone at this point.

[Nevertopia]

I find it distracting when a writer unironically out themselves as a male author. Usually it involves writing about a woman's breasts emotionally. Another would be anything passed the 5th season in game of thrones.

[Punished UMN]

The whole "Chosen one" thing, where someone turns out to be the key to saving the day because of a prophecy or something similar. This cliche is prominent, appearing in fantasy media like Lord of the Rings, and Science Fiction content, like Dune. For me, It's better if either:

The prophecy turns out to already be fulfilled by someone else, that there's really no day to save, and that it's all going to be alright anyways.

or......

The chosen one outright goes mad due to the immense amount of pressure put on by basically everyone else, believes it to be false, tries to ensure that nobody hears that prophecy again, and attempts to get rid of his/her mark on society, only for said prophecy to turn out to be true. (You could alter those last 10 words)

Both LOTR and Dune subvert the Chosen One trope IIRC.

[Esthe]

Somehow every dystopian book I read manages to turn into a romance novel.

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

Somehow every dystopian book I read manages to turn into a romance novel.

Uuuugh, preach.

And 16-19 is the perfect age to be the face of a revolution, apparently.

[New yugoslavaia]

The whole "Chosen one" thing, where someone turns out to be the key to saving the day because of a prophecy or something similar. This cliche is prominent, appearing in fantasy media like Lord of the Rings, and Science Fiction content, like Dune. For me, It's better if either:

The prophecy turns out to already be fulfilled by someone else, that there's really no day to save, and that it's all going to be alright anyways.

or......

The chosen one outright goes mad due to the immense amount of pressure put on by basically everyone else, believes it to be false, tries to ensure that nobody hears that prophecy again, and attempts to get rid of his/her mark on society, only for said prophecy to turn out to be true. (You could alter those last 10 words)

Another idea: The prophecy turns out to be nonsense. Just the mad ramblings of some delusional mystics.

[Crysuko]

Somehow every dystopian book I read manages to turn into a romance novel.

This makes me want to write my own dystopian styled novella, and sort of lean on that trope before violently yeeting it and going balls to the wall on the actual story