: Re: What to do when characters disagree with the plot? I'm writing a romance novel and have hit a brick wall. The problem is every way I think the future lovebirds could meet and become friends

@Jennifer354

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One of the earliest Web pages on clichés (in this case, from science fiction) contains a passage about their use:

Clichés are not in themselves necessarily bad, but their overuse shows that the writer has forgotten what separates the strong tale from the hollow: "the human heart in conflict with itself," as Faulkner said. Where there is this conflict, the tale stands; where the conflict is absent, the tale falls flat, and in neither case does it matter how many ships get blown up.

When you purposefully avoid clichés, you do so either as a self-imposed exercise in creativity, or because of a fear that your use of them will distract the reader from the good parts. As the above quote says, the latter motive has no basis, if your writing is otherwise good.

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