God bless The Deadline Dames

I spend a lot of time online. Too much time, in fact, according to my doctor, who has diagnosed me with carpal tunnel syndrome. (FYI, it really sucks.) Anyways, one of my go-to sites is The Deadline Dames and part of today’s daily dose of awesomeness includes a discussion on clichés from Dame Toni, who has the following insights to share:

I actually did a little research on clichés, and polled some editors and agents about the ones they most disliked. The list I ended up with  included:

• Heroes in romance novels with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes.
• Heroines in romance novels with unruly red hair that escapes their combs and pins.
• Books in which none of the characters have “normal” names; everyone is “Dirk” or “Storm” or “Velvet.”
• Opening chapters depicting a horrific murder told dispassionately from the nameless serial killer’s point of view.
• The first time two characters that will later fall in love, they experience some physical sensation related to electricity: a shock, a jolt, a tingle.

I’ve put this up here because (a) this list is so true, and (b) I’ve also noticed the first four and commented on them, or something quite similar, to friends. The last one, true, is extra apt since it crosses most genres and should definitely be used less, unless there’s actua electricity involved.

If this has intrigued you, I encourage you to check out the rest of the post, and the general Dames’ site as well.