Giving your readers the 'Ooh, that's different!' tingle - by Fran Hill

I've written about clichés before on the More than Writers site  here, but there's always more to say ....

Some challenges for you.

Here's your first. Write the beginning of a story entitled 'It was unbelievable!' The story must contain two characters and should be set in a dangerous forest. You must include at least 10 of the following clichéd expressions, or variations of them.

1. I felt as though I'd been turned to stone.

2. I was paralysed with fear. 

3. I thought I'd die of shock. 

4. My legs were killing me. 

5. I stood up like a shot. 

6. I ran like the wind. 

7. I let out an ear piercing scream.

8. It sent shivers down my spine. 

9. My heart skipped a beat. 

10. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

11. It was pitch black.

12. My blood was boiling.

13. I fell like a ton of bricks. 

14. I felt utter terror/utter fear/utter surprise/utter shock.

15. It was incredible.

16. It was amazing.

17. It was indescribable.

18. My heart stopped.

19. My legs froze. 

20. But it was all a dream. 

Read your story aloud, give yourself an extra point if you began it, 'It was a dark and stormy night', then delete the story. Vow to use as few of those expressions again as you possibly can, unless they're in dialogue spoken by a character who speaks in clichés. (If possible, have that character die horribly.) 

Here's a second challenge. Finish these sentences with what you think comes next.

I heaved a sigh -

I slept like a -

I was better safe than -

It was the calm before the -

He wouldn't listen. It was like talking to a -

I knew I had bitten off more than I - 

You're making a mountain out of -

Every cloud has a -

I burst into floods of -

It was the last - 

My blood ran - 

It was no use crying over spilt -

I'd need to turn over a new -

I had a crisis of -

It was just the tip of the - 

I felt very under the -

If I waited for her, I'd be waiting until the -

There's a reason these aren't hard to finish off. They've been used a lot. In fact, Noah used them all.

Now, a third challenge. Finish the sentences above with something original instead. Give them a twist. Then use them in your writing and give your readers that little 'Ooh, that was different!' tingle. 

For example: 

I heaved a sigh that took leaves off trees. 

I slept like a lifer declared innocent. 

I was better safe than bitter. 

It was the calm before the tax bill. 

Now, a final challenge: join the beginning of a familiar saying with the end of another (as in the caption below). This is a fun game. But it's also another way to delight your reader. 

'More haste, spilt milk'

Enjoy experimenting. And, if at first you don't succeed, try, try gin and tonic. 

Fran Hill is a writer/teacher/blogger based in Warwickshire. Her new book 'Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?' will be published by SPCK in 2020. You can find out more about Fran from her website right here