Well, here in New Orleans it's hotter than...um...
hotter than...
Damn! You ever have that problem when you're writing where you're trying to avoid a cliche and come up with something original but you can't?
Happened to me the other day. "She dumped him like..." and hell, I can't say "a hot potato". I mean, that's so old. Or "yesterday's news". Ick.
So I thought about the character and what they're about to say...who are they? What do they know?
Well, the character was Ben, an eleven year-old, and he likes to eat. What do kids who like to eat need to dump?
"She dumped him like a half-eaten bowl of cereal". Whadda ya think? That ok?
It's tough, but don't spend too much time on it. If you're truly stuck with a metaphor or simile, and can't get the cliche out of your head, use the cliche, but mark it for future revisions.
Always remember the goal of the first draft: FINISH THE FIRST DRAFT. Don't let nothin' stop ya.
Otherwise, your manuscript could end up old and crusty like a sandwich under a teenager's bed. (Ok, that one might've been a little gross)
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