There are those who will tell you to avoid clichés like the plague.
According to the Writers Write blog, the twelve most annoying clichés are: 1. Avoid it like the plague; 2. Dead as a doornail; 3. Take the tiger by the tail; 4. Low hanging fruit; 5. If only walls could talk; 6. The pot calling the kettle black; 7. Think outside the box; 8. Thick as thieves; 9. But at the end of the day; 10. Plenty of fish in the sea; 11. Every dog has its day; and 12. Like a kid in a candy store. While the blog owners say you should never use clichés, that can be hard as some idioms are common, everyday parts of our language. The truth is that the constant use of clichés can be unsettling for a reader, but there are times when it can be a useful tool, especially in conversation/dialogue.
Mixing up patterns of speech in dialogue helps to identify who is speaking. Using signature lines and clichés in dialogue can help make a character unique and add to their personality, but not everyone should talk the same way. In The Golden Girls sitcom Sophia had a signature line, “Picture this…”, Bruce Willis in Die Hard is known for his “Yippy Kai-yay”, and George Takei has made the two words “Oh My” a brand on its own. Personal speech patterns and the consistent use of clichés and common idioms can distinguish your character and make him or her recognizable and memorable. There is o need to use every cliché or otherwise overused phrase, but choose one or two that will become a trademark for one of your characters.
Other traits you can use to help make your characters distinctive are short staccato like sentences, the constant use of words that sound like the pages of a dictionary or encyclopedia, slang expressions, the hint of a drawl or other accent. The important thing is to keep the style specific to just that one character. Depending on the region your character comes from they may speak slowly or rapidly, their expressions may sound gruff, crude or overly polite. Conversation should sound natural and flow. The way a character speaks should be consistent with who they are, what they do, where they were raised and where they live now, and even their socio-economic status.
You might want to emphasize a regional accent or ethnicity. Research common idioms to an area (like the deep south of America) and let your character seem comfortable using those phrases. To add a foreign touch to someone’s language, just hint occasionally by using a once-in-a-while foreign word (such as mademoiselle) or emphasizing an accent occasionally but consistently (such as zee instead of the). Also understand that someone speaking a language which is not their native tongue may confuse some literal translations. Be careful not to infuse so many idioms or accents as to make reading too confusing for your average target audience reader.
Narrative should sound smooth and this is where you should avoid the excessive use of clichés. The words used to tell the story, other than dialogue, need to be accurate as to spelling, grammar and meaning. A character, if it fits their description, may use ambiguous words or abstract speech patterns. The story around the speech needs to be clear, correct and directed for reading ease by the audience. A line of dialogue may be run-on for instance if that is the normal way for a character to speak, but run-on sentences are not acceptable in the narrative.
Read your work out loud. Does it sound natural? Is it easily understood? And is it easy to know who is talking even without the character’s name being used?
Writing exercise: Take a major character from your work and write a brief bedtime story that character was told as a young child; it’s okay to just include the highlights. Afterwards see how that story may have had an effect on who your character became.
Writing Prompt: Make a list of five people who had a significant impact on your life. For each person list a specific word or phrase that you associate with that person, perhaps something they often said to you.
