So if you're writing a YA novel, and you have a whacking great big cliche, don't worry that much - so long as your mean girl has motives, desires, personality, weaknesses etc - aka she's a 3-D character - you'll be okay.
Oh, and another thing - anyone who hasn't clicked the magical 'follow' button up the top of the page, please click it - you get three wishes! (okay, I'm lying, but I really want to hit the 50 followers mark, so clicky the linky, folks).
CLICHE NO. 5 - TEEN PREGNANCY (EXPECTED OR NOT)
Some argue it's not a cliche, but rest assured, every teen TV show has done it, and quite a few books as well. Thing is, it happens. And not just to people who have a new boyfriend every night - to the braniacs who revise more than they eat.
CLICHE NO. 4 - THE NERD
On TV, they wear oversized glasses (geek without the chic), mismatched patterns, they have serious orthodontia issues, and are socially awkward to the extreme. In real life, it's not quite as extreme, but they definitely exist. Heck, I was one for years (without the braces). Which brings me to their archetype...
CLICHE NO. 3 - THE LOVE TRIANGLE (I forgot this, but thanks to Kyra for reminding me!)
One of the most disliked and often tedious aspects of YA fiction (particularly paranormal), the love tringle is a big fat cliche. BUT it does happen. What about the girl who's liked the same boy for ages, but he's going out with someone else, so she agrees to go to prom with the other boy she likes. But then the original boy dumps his girl and asks girl 1 out. Cliched, but I know people who this has happened to. And polyandry isn't legal in the UK just yet, so it's a teensy problem...
CLICHE NO. 2 - THE BITCHY POPULAR GIRL
You knew the mean girls picture had a reason. These girls do exist, 100 per cent. They've got a rich boyfriend at uni, flawless skin, and a following of girls who hate them but worship them. In my book THE BRIGHTEST FELL, I very much enjoyed writing my own mean girl (and boys), from their points of view. And it's a hard life, so don't wish you were them.
CLICHE NO. 1 - THE TEACHERS EVERYONE HATES/LOVES/SLEEPS WITH
I've cheated and put 3 in, but there is a big cliche that any teachers worth mentioning are hot/evil/awesome. That isn't totally true, but they're the ones all teens will remember/have strong feelings about, and every school has them. First, the evil cow who radiates hate for her students. The woman who took up teaching because she didn't have good enough people skills for anything else. Or the mysogynistic male teacher who's a total sleaze. Next, the teacher who lets the class chat, makes lessons fun, and always hands out chocolates at christmas. Rarer, admittedly, but these mythical creatures still exist. And then there's the teachers who are so hot that the school jocks and male model-alikes/hot mean girls hate them with a passion. The teacher that looks like Alex Pettyfer/Zac Efron/Megan Fox/Rihanna. Yes, you know the one.
So there're my cliches. Do you agree? and do you have any true cliches to add?
Oh, and please click follow *smiles hopefully*
I think love triangles are fairly common for teens in real life. Particularly when two girls like the same guy. :)
ReplyDeleteAre you really only 18? Can I fix you up with my son...lol
ReplyDeleteThere's the smarmy teacher's pet. We had several of those in my high school. They brown nose and end up getting out of class and receive extra credit on assignments because the teachers like them.
ReplyDeleteOh, and your follow pleas got me. Maybe I'll have to try that. ; )
haha only 10 to go!
DeleteI totally agree that those cliche's are real! I mean, I think that's how cliches become cliches right? Because they spring from things that are so common.
ReplyDeleteI'd add the hot jock quarterback, too. Because in my high school? It happened every year. The QB was always hot and almost always a cocky jerk. :)
Ooh yeah, there're definitely a few of those in our school. Only here in the UK we don't play American Football so our hot boys are either jocks on the rugby team, or the lanky boys with pretty faces and flicky fringes.
DeleteAnd yes, they are almost always jerks!
I agree with Sara above me... Cliches become cliches because they're real. I'd add the hot guy asking the kind of dorky girl out because that so happened to me in high school. :) Great list, Amy!
ReplyDeleteYwah, they start out real - but plenty of people assume they're just myths or blown out of all proportion - even though some of them really aren't.
DeleteI wish a hot guy would ask ME out... ;)
I agree with those above. That's how these things become cliche. These are all pretty good reasons I'm happy not to be a teen any more. Those who tell you it's the best time of their life, don't remember it very well. (Or have a pretty lame life now.) :)
ReplyDeleteLove triangles may be well-hated, but they're also well-loved. That's why they're so popular.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yep, all these cliches have elements of truth (and most cliches in general)
and then people can get on a 'team'. I totally disagree with the whole 'team' thing *cough* Team Sam Roth *cough* Team Peeta *cough*
DeleteI witnessed most of these when I was in school, mumblemumble years ago. In my high school class, at least four girls got pregnant. And a classmate of mine ended up dating then marrying our English Composition teacher. Good times. Definitely novel material.
ReplyDeletehahaha! We've had teachers leave because they started dating students, and there are several girls who've had babies. And it's always the ones you don't expect, the teachers and the pregnant girls.
DeleteI agree with all of these, especially the mean girls! My best friend freshman year was one, and you're so right, those of us who followed her all hated each other BECAUSE of her--she'd lie to all of us about what the rest of us were saying about each other that wasn't true and she'd talk behind all of our backs) and yet for whatever reason we were dependent on her too! Crazy how that works! Glad I got out of that mixup.
ReplyDeleteI came here for the Dust If Off Bloghop, but this post captured my attention. I am a high school student, and can definitely vouch for each of these.
ReplyDelete