There are the obvious cliches, such as: “my heart was pounding in my chest”, or, “my breath caught in my throat”. There are dozens more that I’m sure you’re familiar with. Per dictionary.com, the first definition of cliche is: “a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox.” This fits perfectly well with my

I’m stuck in the middle of my story. I have no idea where to go with it. My courageous yet timid main character has entered a world a thousand times more fantastical than her own, she gotten a taste of what the antagonist is capable of, she’s connected with those she will fight with and she’s met the love interest. Everything is setting up nicely. But for what? I have no idea. I was physically banging my head against my desk an hour ago. This post is definitely a better way o

The gunshot is very loud in my ears. My stomach feels like there might be a hole in it. Ouch. I have been shot and the blood keeps pouring out and it hurts deep inside and I might be dying— STOP RIGHT THERE. That was horrible, right? Sorry to put you through that. How do we tackle writing various emotions or sensations that we ourselves have never felt before? I’m not telling you to go ahead and cut off your arm or anything like that for the sake of authenticity. There are so

She sprinted across an endless expanse of barren field that blurred at the horizon. The bottom of her light-blue, floral dress caught on her feet as she fled from the approaching flames that engulfed a dark mass behind her. As she sprinted forward, the field seemed to twist, turn, and stretch in front of her eyes. Her heart beat loudly in her head and screams of unknown faces rang in her ears; she tried to block them out, but they only grew louder. She peered over her sho