Friday, July 6, 2012

Out of the Mouths of Babes....

There is something to a cliche.  They're in existence because there's truth to them.   I was on the phone with my 8-year old niece the other day.  My sister-in-law obviously told her that her aunt is writing a book, so she asked me... "You're writing a book?  What's it about?"  

Me... UMMMM nothing like being backed into a corner by a kid's question I was ill-equipped to answer!  I told her it's about scary people doing bad things

My niece.... "What kinds of things?"

Me .... DOUBLE ummmmm .... death, murder, serial killers?  eeeek!!  I told her... "Oh just scary stuff."  

How lame am I?  After the call, I promptly emailed my sis-in-law to thank her for that!  Thank goodness she and I are close, so she found it funny...so did I...although not in the moment.  In the moment, I was like a deer in headlights!  (ahhh there, another cliche!) 

Writers are supposed to avoid cliches like the plague...oops I keep doing it...so hopefully, you'll never witness me writing another one :)


2 comments:

  1. Two words: Elevator Pitch. ;) (Two sentences describing your work in progress should an agent/editor/publisher ask you what your WIP is about.)

    It's a challenge, but anything, ANYTHING, to stop the cliches! :D

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  2. Except you can't tell an 8-year old your elevator pitch when you write about a serial killer and caught by surprise. When I see my niece in a few weeks, I better have some other line prepared to tell her in case she asks again!

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