Story Clichés · 2:04am Jun 11th, 2014
Today, class, we're going to learn about story clichés. If you didn't already get that from the blog post title, I may need to hold you back a grade.
For those of you who don't know what that is, (I assume very few of you) a cliché is a mechanic, in a story for this context, that is overused, overdone, overrated, etc.
For example, a fandom favorite: Red and Black alicorn OC. (Though I question this, as I've never seen one used in a story yet)
The reason I bring this up, is because I've received several thoughts from people who point out particular aspects of some of my favorite stories as being cliché, and even a couple authors who asked me for advice on how to fix it. (And thank you for that, I was very flattered you asked me) Anyway, we'll get to specifics in a moment. First I want to make myself seem smarter through explanations.
There are a few scenes in many stories, ranging from romance, to adventure, to even dark categories, that always seem to pop up. Then people recognize them, and call them cliché. Now, the word cliché has negative connotations to it obviously. No one would normally think of one as being good. So when these appear in stories, even from the most renowned of our favorite authors, readers tend to roll their eyes, give a chuckle and shake their heads. Sometimes it's something small, and we just brush it off. Or perhaps the story has already drawn us in, and we no longer care much. Or even, though less common, the cliché is one we enjoy regardless of its nature. Something like the introduction of favorite characters like Octavia and Vinyl Scratch at an opportune moment. Or sometimes it ruins the story for us, and we designate the author as being unoriginal.
This is a mistake.
Now, I'm not saying that all of these 'unoriginal' events are worthy of praise, or that none of them are reprehensible. What I wish to do here, is show you that not all of them are necessarily the clichés you view them as. Now we get to specifics.
I'm going to give you another example. This is one I know you've all seen. And it is in fact something that somewhat happened in my own story.
"Rarity meets the main character, (normally a human for this context) gasps at their clothing, and demands to make a new set for them on the house."
You've all read it before. I myself have read dozens upon dozens which employ this tactic as a tool for when the Mane 6 meet their OC/Whatever the hell they're writing about. Now let me shock you to your core. It's not a cliché.
Can you honestly imagine a human wearing whatever kind of clothes, walking up to the character we all know as Rarity, and her not gasping in pseudo-disgust? I certainly can't. It's just like her. Calling this a cliché is like scolding the sun for rising the same way every day. While an extreme, it makes my point.
Certain events are ones we can simply expect to happen. In fact, unless the character was wearing some form of dress suit, of Italian silk and lace, I'd point out to an author that Rarity didn't make a fuss over their t-shirt and jeans.
Now, maybe none of you agree with me. That's fine. Or maybe you think I'm going overboard with this, and it doesn't really matter. But when someone comes to me, asking me if I can help fix their story, when there's nothing wrong with it, I get a little upset. Not at them, but because these people are being criticized for recognizing character cues. Your story is FINE.
That's my rant/lecture for the day.
Misplaced Science will be updated within two days.
Now I'm off to play Guns of Icarus. I bid you adieu.
I'll tell you why this one bothers me: because Rarity is a successful businessmare.
I work in an automotive repair shop. Sometimes, customers have cars that are kind of cool . . . but we don't fix them for free. We are in business to make money, and so is Rarity. If she gives away her time and material in exchange for nothing, pretty soon she won't be in business. She's generous, but she's not stupid.
Stepping back a bit . . . it is perfectly in character for Rarity to make some kind of statement regarding a human (I'll just go with your example) and his clothes. It is also perfectly in character for her to be interested in how those clothes are constructed, in wanting to learn more about the society which produced them, and being inspired (or not) by the cut of the clothes.
What we generally don't see in the stories where Rarity makes new clothing for the new arrival is what she gets in exchange, and it's a pity, because there are so many possibilities. If it's likely that more humans will be arriving, she could do the first set for practice, and it could also serve as a walking billboard for further humans. Human-style clothes could be a new fashion trend--something new that ponies haven't seen before. The human could work off the debt in practically any manner the story dictates. Some other benefactor could be paying Rarity. She might be considering marketing a new line towards minotaurs or diamond dogs. Or, it could just be public exposure of her fashion, especially if the human is to meet other well-connected ponies (which usually happens in the story).
2197362
True, but I was merely giving an example. My story actually didn't involve any free clothes.
While I would agree that her being that charitable may not be a given, I would definitely not be alarmed or surprised by it. Perhaps a touch weary of what she may eventually ask for in exchange, or perhaps a small harmless hidden agenda.
Also, and no offense to you, humans aren't normally prone to generosity on her level. If a mechanic ever did something like that, I'd be more worried than grateful.
But again, you're right that she probably wouldn't give them away for free, unless something else was involved.
2197378
I do agree that the ponies as a whole are more generous than humans as a whole, and that would be a factor in what the ponies would or would not do for a visitor (on the other hand, we humans would probably be falling all over ourselves to help in an actual, bonafied alien showed up here, so there's that).
But it just strikes me that while the ponies would certainly make sure that any visitor had food to eat and a roof over his head, in their world, clothing is a luxury, not a necessity. Even Rarity normally goes around nude.
2197406
True enough. Though Rarity may have words with you about saying clothes aren't a necessity in their world.
2197429
2197406
What about the stories where the human shows up and is mistreated by the ponies? I mean like the ponies say that the human is a monster, when in actuality the human has been helping.... who ever or has just been reacting to the ponies. I have seen one story that had the human pegged as a monster then apologized to by various ponies who had done wrong. That could be another (probably more specific) reason. (only applies to those stories that human is treated as animal or other thing lesser than the norm)
The one thing that DOES bother me, and this relates to the amount of generosity, is what would happen if a manipulative person was involved. (happened in Villanous)
2197429
On the contrary, I think that she would more readily recognize the difference between necessary clothes (such as protective clothing) and decorative clothes. In the case of a human, it might be a little more difficult, but (for example) she would probably understand that a bra is intended to support the breasts, while a t-shirt has no function other than cover.
2197521
...I was making a joke.
2197452
In that case, I think it really depends on how well the author sets the scene, and why the ponies are mistreating the human. While they have a number of sapient species on their planet, they are not all friendly to ponies, and their reaction to them varies in canon. For example, they have a favorable reaction towards Iron Will, but not Zecora. I think if the author sets up a reason for the reaction, it can be a good literary tool. In A Voice Among the Strangers they believed that Jennifer (I think that was her name) was the mythical creature known as the 'Foal Hunter,' and Ponyville's first view of her was when she staggered out of the Everfree carrying Dinky in her arms. Pretty much guarantees a hostile response. On the other hand, in Arrow 18: Mission Logs, Twilight observed from a distance and determined that the human was also observing them, and was just as curious about the ponies as they were about him. The problem only arises (in my opinion) when the ponies are either overly hostile or overly trusting for no apparent reason.
I think they would eventually figure it out, but such a person could probably profit considerably before they did, and if he was wise, he'd move on before the ponies figured out what he was doing. That's always a problem . . . in terms of charities and government programs, a certain amount of scamming is expected, and I suppose that it can apply to a society as a whole. In the case of the ponies, their generous nature and close society probably gives them more benefits than the drawbacks from the occasional scammer, but of course when a new species is introduced, the old rules don't always apply.
2197548 Now you bring up lore and myth. I mean in a more "What the hell is that" and not the "I believe that could be .." based story. I, in the stories I have written (and stopped for right now since I have fizzled out) don't plan on having a myth of what is believed. The results is just having one side appear and then let situations move on from there.
ToA and Talvo both involve your basic HiE situation on the "friendly" side (big ships don't convey happiness like they are supposed to).
Legion relates to those League stories where cosplayer meets Equestria and becomes said cosplay.
Pink.....well pink is special in its own rights.
And in all of those, Pink is the only one to truly (even if I hadn't written it yet) to have a precursor based idea.... well myth in its own right with the small dragons. Even if I hadn't elaborated on that yet, it is only one that has a past that makes the human unique in his situation (I mean of my stories)
I mean... Look at Your Human and You. The humans in that WERE partially intelligent and the dumbed down. It is a nice take on THAT side of the spectrum of stories.
You won't see any more red and black alicorn OC's, they were wiped out after their population explosion in 2012. They still happen, but not as often as they did.
I don't really mind if something has already been done before. Pretty much everything you can do has already been done at least once, especially in fan fiction. I do mind if I'm reading a story and the author is doing everything the exact same way every other story has done before.
This is why HiE stories in particular have a bad reputation. All the best stories are drowning in a sea of fics that are almost clones of each other. Not that being alike automatically makes them all bad. Some are fun to read. Many are not.
What I'm trying to say is that as long as you try to approach topics from a unique/uncommon/interesting angle, no one can fault you for being cliché.
2197524
This is the internet. Every joke must be clearly labeled THIS IS A JOKE or it will be taken for serious.
2200031
I had (incorrectly) assumed that the inclusion of Rarity duck face was enough.
Oh well.
2200289
Don't worry. It happens to the best of us (i.e. me (THIS IS A JOKE))
I think a fic that started out like this would be quite amusing, though I'm not the right person to write it. I'm seeing a human fashionista who takes meticulous care of her own appearance, and Rarity recognizing a kindred spirit even in an alien form...
Also, could there be a circumstance under which Rarity, while still in character, would not help someone with a bad outfit? (The link has my own answer.)
Asking yourself "Under what circumstances would the canon character not show the canon response?" is a good thought experiment which can increase your flexibility as an author and, properly executed, make your story more memorable.
Just my two bits.
2201046
Yes, however I would argue that that now has less to do with character cues, and more to do with setting the scene of a story. While the cues are, of course, still very much important, the scene now becomes the 'larger' aspect for the author, which is what I believe you are ultimately alluding to.
While your thought has obvious merit, it wasn't exactly what I was trying to get across.