Writing block corner, cliches.

Hello Bookworms!
Ok, so a friend of mine recently started writing, and so I decided now would be a great time to share some of my 'gathered knowledge about writing'. I'm sure that to some of you this is all going to be stuff you already know, but to others this might prove really helpful. So, if you think your story has cliches, please read! And let me know if this was helpful!

Alright, so there are several things about writing cliches that should probably be mentioned. First: Cliches are Cliches for a reason! I know this might not make sense at first, but the reason something is a cliche is because it is so overused. The reason that it's overused? Because it's actually a really good plot point! But people have used it so much that it has become predictable. So, if you are going to write something cliche, just know that it's cliche going in. Don't expect to surprise your audience with it. You don't have to write something that the audience has never read, you don't even have to make them think that they've never read it before. Your job as the writer is simply to make them not care that they've heard it before because your work is so entertaining. I didn't come up with this myself. I got it from a fellow writer, who got it from someone else. I'm not that smart.

Secondly: if you can, point out the cliches. This can be expanded to an even better principle: have a mediator character. SO many movies and TV shows these days lose audiences because there's no one for the audience to truly relate to. No one is saying what the audience is saying, and they can't find someone who feels exactly what they feel. There's no emotional connection to these characters, and as such the audience has no reason to stick around. Now, pulling it back to what I was originally saying, have your mediator character point out the cliches. Yes, there is nothing wrong with using cliches. But if your audience can say mid-sentence: "That's such a cliche!" then you should probably have on of your characters be able to say it too. Unless it's a terribly stressful scene, but you have to be careful. If the audience knows where it's going, then their tension will already be decreased. It's a fine line, and I don't know everything there is to know about it.

Third, (and last): put your own twist on it. If you're writing a cliche, then you might end up boring yourself. Throw something random in that you didn't see coming. Remember: second drafts are when you go back through and make all the random, crazy out-of-nowhere stuff have some degree of foreshadowing. Have fun with it! Your audience your first time round is yourself. Remember: "The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." (Terry Prachett.) It's from a pin I found on Pinterest, I honestly have no idea who this person is. Still, it's a good thing to keep in mind. So, have fun writing!

Alright, would you as my audience like for me to write more advice based upon the advice of my fellow writers in my community and the limited experience I have? And if there's something else you would like for me to write about, please let me know!
Scribe ergo quae vidiste vivere!