Sooooo cliché!
Because I Have People deals with the very sensitive issue of domestic abuse, I knew I needed to add something to the book that would lighten things up a little. The main character, Holly, suffers from memory loss. Because of this, she feels a little confused and mixes up her words sometimes. It’s a constant reminder that Holly is not functioning at optimum level and reminds the reader that maybe, just maybe, her memories are skewed. And if her memory is skewed, then it begs the question, is her life really what she believes it to be?
Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I had great fun writing the scenes where Holly confuses commonly used clichés. Maybe it’s kinda silly, but a little comic relief was called for to balance out the intensity of certain scenes. Here are a few examples:
Cliché: Walking on eggshells.
Holly says, “Why is everyone walking on eggs around me?”
Cliché: You wear your heart on your sleeve.
Holly says: “And you, Mr. Sinclair, wear your heart on your shirt, and I love it.”
Cliché: Head over heels in love.
Holly says: “I’m head over high heels in love with you.”
Cliché: Happy as a clam.
Holly says: “I’m happy as an oyster.”
Cliché: Fit as a fiddle.
Holly says: “I feel perfectly well, as good as new. Same as I’ve always felt, fit as a violin.”
Cliché: I don’t have an inkling.
Holly says: “I don’t have an ink.”
Cliché: Cloud nine.
Holly says: “I was on cloud ten.”
Cliché: Toes curl.
Holly says: “He makes my toes bend.”
Cliché: An axe to grind.
Holly says: “I don’t have a hammer to grind with you.”
Cliché: Kiss and make up.
Holly says: “Now, kiss and make love.”
How about you? Do you have a favorite cliche? Do you ever mix up the words and get it wrong?
What a clever way to have some fun and lighten some tense moments. Those examples are great. Can't wait to read this! Yea!
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