Trite, Tired Cliches Wreck Writing

I was talking to my operations manager, Bo Bradley, yesterday about my blog, and we laughed about how on some days I start off by saying ... "I don't know what to blog about ..." and here we are -- and I don't know what to say. How about thank God it's Friday? Nah, overused and trite LOL. Isn't there a restaurant called TGIF? Yes, there is. Okay, how about this: life is good and it's Friday. Okay, better and only marginally trite. Speaking of trite, did you know the worst writing is loaded with trite cliches. Sometimes even the most professional writers fall back on the overused and overcooked cliche. Here are some of my favorites:

• Caught like a deer in the headlights.
• White as a ghost.
• The sky's the limit.
• Happy as a lark.

Okay, I could continue with a list of ever-annoying cliches. Cliches don't do anything but show me as a reader the writer lacks imagination. If you have an inclination to use a cliche, turn it on its ear. Here are some funny ones I just made up:

• Whiter than a ghost dipped in flour.
• Caught like a deer admiring the headlights.
• The sky is only the limit if you can fly.
• Happy as a lark who just found a hot lark.

Any cliche can be freshened up, but don't use the standard cliche in your writing. It's tired, used up, and boring. Keep your writing unique, fresh and original -- don't use any cliches at all.