Tips & Tricks to Writing on Wattpad

5 Tips to Making Clichés Work

5 TIPS TO MAKING CLICHÉS WORK

1) Combine them.

No, I don't means make a story about a secret princess that falls for her heart-breaker/player Alpha mate teacher. I mean combine completely different clichés. For example, the forbidden love/ people from completely different group thing is kinda overused, right? Same with werewolf power players (Alpha, Beta, etc). The write letters to a stranger is also used a lot. But what if you combined them all? 

Have a werewolf girl, write a letter and drop it at school or something. Then you could have the Beta (don't use Alpha, I beg you, I love those stories and all, but there's only so much I can take) of the enemy pack pick it up and write back. They start either start falling in love, hate or annoyance with each other, and then they find out who the other is. Then add your own spins.  

See? That doesn't sound too bad, does it, now?

2) Make the characters three-dimension.

No girly princesses please. Badass chicks without a single care are just a bit too unrealistic. And do not get me started on the Twilight girl. (nothing against Twilight, I used to love it, but Bella's just a bit... Off).
Give them an interesting past. An embarrassing quirk. A list of flaws as long as the Great Wall of China. And no, 'sexy' scars and 'cute' blushing too often do not count. 
Think of the person you hate. Write down all their flaws, pick the most un-biased ones and add them to your character. 

For example, my character, Raine, in my story Something about Summer has a complex and slightly scarring past. She's got trust issues, she's a complete prude, way too naive, slightly clueless, kind of insane, thinks everyone else is insane, insecure, ignores and runs away from her problems, makes the same mistakes over and over again, and when someone swears, she uses a substitute word and it gets on everyone's nerves after a while. And that's just the beginning. My point is, if you don't give them realistic flaws that someone you know has, they aren't gonna be very gripping.

3) Embrace the fact that they are clichés.

Which means you can totally twist the end. In Romance clichés everyone gets a happily ever after, what if you left them in tears? *cough*TFiOS*cough* In Action, the main character always wins against the bad team... What if they *gasp* Joined the bad team? But of course, make sure it's sill a satisfying end. Don't end when the main character blacks out, 'cause that's just gonna make everyone go 'WTF?'

4) Use proper spelling and grammar.

Did you see that one coming? Hmm, probably not. But have you seen any clichés on the What's Hot list with bad grammar? Actually, no, let me re-phrase that, have you seen any popular authors with cliché stories that have bad grammar? The answer is no. Or at least, for me it is. Sure, their stories have the aspects of all of the above, but even if you do and your grammar is so bad it makes your little sister's eyes bleed, then well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you'll probably be written off as a Wanna-be that needs to read 'Grammar for Dummies'.

5) LAST WAY? DON'T WRITE THEM!

*Gasps again* Ohmigod, how can it be? Not write clichés, how can I live? Lol, I will NEVER be able to follow this, just saying, but you might. A way to make clichés work? Don't write them. Simple as that.

Okay, I'll admit it- I like reading and writing clichés, I don't know why, but I just do. They have a not-so-good reputation, but that doesn't mean all clichés are horrible.

Next Tip: Updating faster

~JJ