Cliche Characters to Avoid
One of the problems with writing is keeping it original, or at least trying to do so. Here are some suggestions on how to deal with them on the usual problems.
Cliches are one of the most dreaded parts of being a writer because there’s no real way to avoid using them. There are numerous ways to avoid using them, but a more effective method is to embrace them while trying to work with them to create some sort of unique character. Obviously, this is fraught with its own challenges, but it’s something you need to attempt anyway.
The best way to shift a character away from cliché will always be to provide the character with a decent backstory, flesh out the character’s personality, and throw limitations at the character. However, there will be those times when you need the cliché; a fully-developed character is not always what you need, and, in fact, sometimes you need the stereotype (if you’re doing a short story, stereotypes save you a lot of verbiage). Here are some of the more common cliches and how to either avoid them or use them with a little more effect.
The Fanatic
Too many writers have at least one character with pretty strong beliefs who is willing to do anything in the name of those beliefs, be it some religion, philosophy, or mode of thought, even atheism. The idea is to show that those that share the character’s beliefs are insane, or…