Craft Notes
Your Own. Personal. Cliché.
[Elisa Gabbert is back, to holler about review language, usage, and etc! — BB]
On the Guardian’s Books Blog, Peter Robins asks commenters to confess their “personal clichés“: “Everyone has words and phrases they just can’t stop using … Not all clichés are universal.” One “TobyL” says he overuses “quietly tumultuous.” I’m simultaneously grossed out and impressed by anyone who’d admit that.
The personal cliché is evidently closely related to the concept of moves but I emphatically do not think moves are equivalent to clichés. A move may be used only once or be endlessly variable without becoming tired. Clichés, obvs, are used over and over until they lose all interest and power. A move can become a cliché or a tic, which is why it’s good to be aware of your own moves, lest they become your personal clichés. (Just as talking about moves and clichés has become my personal blogging cliché.) (Also please note that the title of this post is a total cliché in posts referring to the Guardian piece; it also appears in the original piece itself. Clichépalooza.)
Relatedly: I keep seeing links to this list of book review “clichés” but they’re mostly single words (“gripping,” “nuanced”). Aren’t these just overused words? I think I need more context to allow the use of cliché, e.g. calling a thriller “gripping” in a review is cliché. The word “gripping” is not a cliché in and of itself. (I am probably focusing too much on the etymology of the word, yes.)
I did a word cloud of my manuscript once and the most frequently used “word” was “blogpoem.” I don’t think that counts. On the other hand, there may be some words for which two usages is too many. The word “supersaturated” appears twice in The French Exit. Can I even use that once, really? I’ve got a handful of deaths. My go-to image for a while was clouds. Fucking loved clouds. But I’m not sure “cloud” is the kind of word you can overuse (I mean, within reason) and I’m not sure they’re a poetry cliché (yet) (as commenters on my last post said of the moon) and I’m not sure they’re even a personal cliché because I’ve been done with clouds for a while. Clouds, meet shitlist. And everybody’s got a body part they overuse and abuse, right? I just control-F’ed a whole lot of eyes.
What are your personal clichés and overused words? Think you don’t have any? Go read your book again and find out.
Tags: cliche, guardian books, shitlist
something. everything. suddenly. [actually cut most uses of suddenly.] just. “there was” and variants of that.
been making a real effort not to write about birds. wrote way too many poems about birds from like august to january. and not even for any real good reason. but sometimes i just felt like it is a good enough reason.
something. everything. suddenly. [actually cut most uses of suddenly.] just. “there was” and variants of that.
been making a real effort not to write about birds. wrote way too many poems about birds from like august to january. and not even for any real good reason. but sometimes i just felt like it is a good enough reason.
I might have to retire referring to the heart as a muscle. I’m awfully fond of pointing that fact out in poems. Also, in my poems, there’s a lot of “sparkle” or “sparkling.” And everything’s “smooth.” I need to work with rougher surfaces and textures, maybe.
I like the idea that we can create our own personal clichés within our own private lexicons. People forget that, I think.
I might have to retire referring to the heart as a muscle. I’m awfully fond of pointing that fact out in poems. Also, in my poems, there’s a lot of “sparkle” or “sparkling.” And everything’s “smooth.” I need to work with rougher surfaces and textures, maybe.
I like the idea that we can create our own personal clichés within our own private lexicons. People forget that, I think.
a friend and i had a long, over-analyzing discussion about the nature of “all of a sudden” and what a “part of a sudden” might be, whether long or shorter by degrees of “a sudden.”
a friend and i had a long, over-analyzing discussion about the nature of “all of a sudden” and what a “part of a sudden” might be, whether long or shorter by degrees of “a sudden.”
Uh-oh. Gotta watch out for any new heart cliches. I definitely pulled a heart=fist once early on and have seen that in about 19 other poems.
Uh-oh. Gotta watch out for any new heart cliches. I definitely pulled a heart=fist once early on and have seen that in about 19 other poems.
Isn’t is “all of the sudden?” Not to be picky. Well, kind of to be picky.
Isn’t is “all of the sudden?” Not to be picky. Well, kind of to be picky.
can’t think of heart and fist w/o …
“Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood.” Clive Owen RIPPED apart poor Jude in that scene (“Closer”) before adding, “You WRITER!”
can’t think of heart and fist w/o …
“Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood.” Clive Owen RIPPED apart poor Jude in that scene (“Closer”) before adding, “You WRITER!”
Wait, no, scratch that. I just looked it up and it looks like it’s one of those dumb regional things. Plus you’re right–it makes no sense in any case. I vow never to use either phrase.
Wait, no, scratch that. I just looked it up and it looks like it’s one of those dumb regional things. Plus you’re right–it makes no sense in any case. I vow never to use either phrase.
Not really clichés but I rarely see these words outside of poems: whorl, cormorant & facebutt.
Not really clichés but I rarely see these words outside of poems: whorl, cormorant & facebutt.
I talk about “the land” too much. What is that all about, anyway? I’ve never lived in anything other than a city. And I hate farms and countryside.
I thought it was “all of the sudden” too. And I hate it. I hear it in the voice of an adult reading a children’s book out loud.
I talk about “the land” too much. What is that all about, anyway? I’ve never lived in anything other than a city. And I hate farms and countryside.
I thought it was “all of the sudden” too. And I hate it. I hear it in the voice of an adult reading a children’s book out loud.
interesting–in what region is “all of the sudden” used? i’ve never heard it in my region.
interesting–in what region is “all of the sudden” used? i’ve never heard it in my region.
even cities have land! it’s just different-looking.
even cities have land! it’s just different-looking.
Too true. But I still use the phrase way too much. Maybe it’s the Irish in me.
Too true. But I still use the phrase way too much. Maybe it’s the Irish in me.
I know a lot of poets who are hot for the word “field”
I know a lot of poets who are hot for the word “field”
Vomit/vomiting is getting close to a personal cliche. This makes me sad/feel like reevaluating my life.
Vomit/vomiting is getting close to a personal cliche. This makes me sad/feel like reevaluating my life.
Oh, yes, and then that takes you down a whole other path of metaphor: field, fertility, growth, grown, growing things, living, soil, etc.
Oh, yes, and then that takes you down a whole other path of metaphor: field, fertility, growth, grown, growing things, living, soil, etc.
I use “dude” too much, and “like.”
I use “dude” too much, and “like.”
As far as words go, I’m afraid that I use “little” way too much.
As far as words go, I’m afraid that I use “little” way too much.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1854056/We_Are_All_Good_If_They_Try_Hard_Enough
this is a good consumer tool; if you are on the fence about buying someone’s book, you should be able to request a word cloud and base your decision accordingly
for instance, i know i would like my own book because the word “like” is so prominent. this alerts me: ah! what a likable book. it says so right there in the biggest word.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1854056/We_Are_All_Good_If_They_Try_Hard_Enough
this is a good consumer tool; if you are on the fence about buying someone’s book, you should be able to request a word cloud and base your decision accordingly
for instance, i know i would like my own book because the word “like” is so prominent. this alerts me: ah! what a likable book. it says so right there in the biggest word.
I remember noticing ‘cormorant(s)’ cropping up in Nabokov on the regs and thinking how he overused it. But then again, I’m probably one of not so many who read his Collected Stories from front cover to back…
I remember noticing ‘cormorant(s)’ cropping up in Nabokov on the regs and thinking how he overused it. But then again, I’m probably one of not so many who read his Collected Stories from front cover to back…
“deeply felt” is another review cliché.
“deeply felt” is another review cliché.
You’re right, actually. That was part of our conversation–my friend being from New Orleans where they say “the sudden,” and myself from Indy/Midwest, where “a sudden” is prevalent.
You’re right, actually. That was part of our conversation–my friend being from New Orleans where they say “the sudden,” and myself from Indy/Midwest, where “a sudden” is prevalent.
I feel like “cormorant” also comes up often in The Decemberist lyrics.
I feel like “cormorant” also comes up often in The Decemberist lyrics.
I use “I think” to the point of lunacy. I have to force myself to go back through most of my reviews to remove that phrase.
I use “I think” to the point of lunacy. I have to force myself to go back through most of my reviews to remove that phrase.
Geez, Mike:
I mean you’re allowed to be cute, like that,
it’s like no one can judge you for being
skin like balloons all over your hair.
pan like reasons. We’re keeping warm. Cars aren’t
It’s more like when I chew the top off a lightbulb,
close. Let me eat your eyelash like a mission.
you gnaw my finger, look at me, teething the skin like
real life is like the street person who
like trying to erase the word you from all
Which sounds like a big halve-the-tides-via-
fuck up. I did that eyebrows thing like good job.
Half the time I feel like U.S.S. Bitchface,
I had friends who were like come on!
I was like phones are so 1743.
. . . and that’s only through page 10.
Geez, Mike:
I mean you’re allowed to be cute, like that,
it’s like no one can judge you for being
skin like balloons all over your hair.
pan like reasons. We’re keeping warm. Cars aren’t
It’s more like when I chew the top off a lightbulb,
close. Let me eat your eyelash like a mission.
you gnaw my finger, look at me, teething the skin like
real life is like the street person who
like trying to erase the word you from all
Which sounds like a big halve-the-tides-via-
fuck up. I did that eyebrows thing like good job.
Half the time I feel like U.S.S. Bitchface,
I had friends who were like come on!
I was like phones are so 1743.
. . . and that’s only through page 10.
It’s really, really hard not to lean on “think” and (for me, especially) “seems” in reviews.
It’s really, really hard not to lean on “think” and (for me, especially) “seems” in reviews.
gotta keep it conver(sen)sational paw paw
gotta keep it conver(sen)sational paw paw
Interesting post. Just for kicks (a cliché I use a lot in speech although not so much in writing, primarily to avoid responsibility and/or commitment), I did a word frequency count on my 10 most recent poems and 1 prose poem, several of which can be found on my blog, fverse (sorry, shameless plug) to see what I’ve been writing about.
Aside from the usual pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions, here are the words that appeared more than once, variations included, followed in parentheses by the frequency:
eyes (6)
warm (5)
poem (5)
youth (3)
years (3)
girl (3)
doughnut (3)
behind (3) – I think I used it as a noun once and a preposition twice.
neck / necks (3)
leave / leaving (3)
look / looks (3)
love / lover (2)
seagulls (2)
perfume / perfumed (2)
staggered / staggering (2)
sun / sunbeam (2) – The latter referred to the small appliance manufacturer.
puppies (2)
grease (2)
coffee (2)
crazy (2)
lives (2)
mad (2)
grass / grasses (2)
I have no idea what any of this means.
Interesting post. Just for kicks (a cliché I use a lot in speech although not so much in writing, primarily to avoid responsibility and/or commitment), I did a word frequency count on my 10 most recent poems and 1 prose poem, several of which can be found on my blog, fverse (sorry, shameless plug) to see what I’ve been writing about.
Aside from the usual pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions, here are the words that appeared more than once, variations included, followed in parentheses by the frequency:
eyes (6)
warm (5)
poem (5)
youth (3)
years (3)
girl (3)
doughnut (3)
behind (3) – I think I used it as a noun once and a preposition twice.
neck / necks (3)
leave / leaving (3)
look / looks (3)
love / lover (2)
seagulls (2)
perfume / perfumed (2)
staggered / staggering (2)
sun / sunbeam (2) – The latter referred to the small appliance manufacturer.
puppies (2)
grease (2)
coffee (2)
crazy (2)
lives (2)
mad (2)
grass / grasses (2)
I have no idea what any of this means.
I have subject and I will ahve to look into my phraseings – In life I know a few but in writing I do not use those – as in when someone drops something “just go ahead and put that anywhere.” “it’s not hard, it’s difficult” I have a year old. ” I need more drugs.” “let’s get a drink.”
I have subject and I will ahve to look into my phraseings – In life I know a few but in writing I do not use those – as in when someone drops something “just go ahead and put that anywhere.” “it’s not hard, it’s difficult” I have a year old. ” I need more drugs.” “let’s get a drink.”
“It is what it is.” There’s the semiotic torque behind, around, and all through it, plus the destabilization added by neo-Derridean Bill Clinton a few years ago.
“It is what it is.” There’s the semiotic torque behind, around, and all through it, plus the destabilization added by neo-Derridean Bill Clinton a few years ago.
i kind of like cliches or expressions sometimes. for example, i think the phrase “off the beaten path” is kind of poetic
i kind of like cliches or expressions sometimes. for example, i think the phrase “off the beaten path” is kind of poetic
not as poetic as “asleep at the wheel”
not as poetic as “asleep at the wheel”
Satan takes the form of a cormorant briefly in Paradise Lost. After reading it… every time a cormorant appears anywhere in a story/poem/photo/film I can’t help but wonder..
It just seems like such a specific type bird to hone in on. And (for me anyways) they don’t carry much symbolic baggage other than that one appearance in Milton.
Satan takes the form of a cormorant briefly in Paradise Lost. After reading it… every time a cormorant appears anywhere in a story/poem/photo/film I can’t help but wonder..
It just seems like such a specific type bird to hone in on. And (for me anyways) they don’t carry much symbolic baggage other than that one appearance in Milton.
i learned about cormorants in ‘island of the blue dolphins’
i learned about cormorants in ‘island of the blue dolphins’
I take it way further than cliches. I will repeat phrases, situations. I’m basically often lazy and dumb.
I just met with a writer that says she moves the same character over to other stories and on and on. “Only a few people even read literary stories” she said.
They do not notice.
Or care. So forget cliches.
Amen.
On the same subject, anyone ever read all or a lot of Jim Harrison novels? He’ll tell a really cool story in novel 2, then 6, then 8.
So that made me feel better.
I take it way further than cliches. I will repeat phrases, situations. I’m basically often lazy and dumb.
I just met with a writer that says she moves the same character over to other stories and on and on. “Only a few people even read literary stories” she said.
They do not notice.
Or care. So forget cliches.
Amen.
On the same subject, anyone ever read all or a lot of Jim Harrison novels? He’ll tell a really cool story in novel 2, then 6, then 8.
So that made me feel better.
i kind of like when a character moves over from one story to another, a la joyce & salinger
i kind of like when a character moves over from one story to another, a la joyce & salinger
Cormorants are awesome. Also really good: terns.
Cormorants are awesome. Also really good: terns.
“rook” & “palimpsest” are poem cliches, i think
i overuse “bone”
“rook” & “palimpsest” are poem cliches, i think
i overuse “bone”
I’ve often felt self-conscious about my “habits” in poems. A habit is probably closer to a “move,” but I considered habits to be idiosyncratic rather than shared commonalities. I also have an affinity for poets with obsessions. I think of Stein, Dickinson, and Plath as poets with obsessions. I think habits are different from obsessions. I think both are interesting. I’m reluctant to use the word “cliche” or “overused” for either of these cases, because these terms are derogatory and a little bit kinda sorta moralizing. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t cliches or instances of overused words in poems, but rather that frequency alone is not an indication of cliche or overuse. Sometimes there is a point/specific project/intention at the heart of using certain phrases, words, or gestures frequently. The idea that we should avoid frequency is problematic. Also, how cool are concordances!
I’ve often felt self-conscious about my “habits” in poems. A habit is probably closer to a “move,” but I considered habits to be idiosyncratic rather than shared commonalities. I also have an affinity for poets with obsessions. I think of Stein, Dickinson, and Plath as poets with obsessions. I think habits are different from obsessions. I think both are interesting. I’m reluctant to use the word “cliche” or “overused” for either of these cases, because these terms are derogatory and a little bit kinda sorta moralizing. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t cliches or instances of overused words in poems, but rather that frequency alone is not an indication of cliche or overuse. Sometimes there is a point/specific project/intention at the heart of using certain phrases, words, or gestures frequently. The idea that we should avoid frequency is problematic. Also, how cool are concordances!
anyone but me would like the word “moon” banned from all poetry and prose?
anyone but me would like the word “moon” banned from all poetry and prose?
actually
actually
I like obsessions too. I allow myself obsessions. (I think clouds qualify.) But sometimes I just fall back on a kind of trick or way to end that is not an obsession but an easy way out. That is bad I think.
Love concordances!
I like obsessions too. I allow myself obsessions. (I think clouds qualify.) But sometimes I just fall back on a kind of trick or way to end that is not an obsession but an easy way out. That is bad I think.
Love concordances!
Rook is very Plath-y. And yes to palimpsest. I’ve got a “pentimento” — better? same? worse? I used to think pentimento was a kind of horse.
Rook is very Plath-y. And yes to palimpsest. I’ve got a “pentimento” — better? same? worse? I used to think pentimento was a kind of horse.
have you read The Sonnets by Ted Berrigan? he constantly re-uses lines. a lot of the poems are sort of “remixes” of each other. you’d like, i think.
have you read The Sonnets by Ted Berrigan? he constantly re-uses lines. a lot of the poems are sort of “remixes” of each other. you’d like, i think.
V.S. Naipaul being the first and most prominent “It is what it is” offender.
V.S. Naipaul being the first and most prominent “It is what it is” offender.
I overuse “still” and “then.”
I overuse “still” and “then.”