Clichés and Tropes aren't necessarily bad. Yes, they become cliché after they've been overused and misused, but they are used so much because the original idea is good--if not great. One you can see in virtually any horror/suspense movie is the "jump scare." A surprising event, accompanied by a loud bang, and your flinch and feel a moment of terror. This is so common, that people expect it and now authors are reducing the use. If a trope is overused, then it looses it's impact.
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| Trope: The mighty hero is actually a coward image credit |
Good ideas deserve good setup. Use what you want, but give the ideas purpose and intent. Don't just throw things in because they've worked in the past. Have a reason. This is my own writing philosophy: everything should have a purpose, or it shouldn't be in the story. Even fluffy, silly, goofy things have a use, such as building characterization. But, just tossing something in because it's worked for others isn't enough, and it'll fall flat. Just like jump scares no longer terrify, they only startle and all tension is thereby released.
The new Star Wars movie is absolutely loaded with cliché and tropes, yet they are great fun. I think they were mostly used well, and they worked. Plus, seeing how the movie broke earning records, I think the public agrees. We shouldn't be afraid to use ideas. There's plenty of success to be found in taking risks. Still, take caution when you use a well-understood and possibly overused concept--the audience is already wise to what's going on, so you better set it up well or it'll fall dead flat.
- M
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