Cliches

[Inkroverts]

This is not really a classic cliche, but I see it being used in a lot of stories in recent years: ending with big, epic fight. I first noticed it from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Then for years afterwards, a lot of books and movies copy this kind of ending to make things look cool and finale-like.

[Asunta]

I am one of those people who look for specific cliches for light reading when I'm too taxed by heavy reading materials. My favourite is the high-school romance between the nerd and the popular kid and the evil ex-flame constantly trying to ruin things between them. I don't think I can get tired of it. If I fail to find these, I look for any chick-lit.
That being said, I feel cliches can't be avoided because it's human tendency to want to experience things others do while making it look like that's the best thing that could ever happen to anybody. I guess writers can't help but feel compelled to use cliches, however, it definitely is necessary that they add their own charm to it, twist it around a bit and surprise the readers!

[Ben Moore]

I think the most irritating cliche I come across regularly is the angsty, brooding protagonist with a dark past. This pops up all the time in fantasy books, especially young adult ones.

For once I’d like to see a hero whose parents are still alive, still together, and raised them well. Maybe our hero is a nice person, reasonably well liked and keeps their head down. Maybe they run a retired people’s poetry group on Wednesdays and like to paint fruit. Then when the apocalypse comes, they mobilise the pensioners and reclaim Earth.

[Felicity Granger]

One cliche I'm not a big fan of are the Mary Sue characters. I like my characters flawed (I do understand that not everyone has led a harrowing life but still) - it just seems more realistic that way. When everything comes up protagonist I always want to shake my head, especially in scenarios so inexplicable it makes my head hurt. Otherwise, I believe that cliches sometimes have their place and we shouldn't let our cynicism make us unaware of that fact.

[Kajol Dadhania]

I think it totally depends on the writer. If the writer is very creative and can write books with new themes and ideas and make them popular, cliches and not required. But they are cliches for a reason, they sell...

[Ciska C]

Happy endings! I know that a lot of us watch movies to have a feel good ending, but sometimes this is completely overdone. The princess doesn’t always get the prince, the good guy doesn’t always win and the bad guys don’t always lose

[Sarah Eliza]

I can't stand the whole "John Doe is super young but he's the best his profession has ever seen and he's also a complete master of these other 10+ skills that have absolutely nothing to do with each other but they work together perfectly in this book/movie so he can save the day".
Drives me crazy, because in a lot of cases it's just unrealistic and always takes me out of the story.

[Akshi Porwal]

The worst cliche I find in romantic books is the lead girl finding this perfect and rich guy. I hate it its like these characters have no problems in life and everything is perfect. Real life isn't like that

[Ananya Srivastava]

I don't know if this has been said already, but the trope of that one girl who has few friends and only reads books and is extremely clumsy and is pretty but 'doesn't know it yet' is just so overused, that the more I read it the angrier I find myself getting lol