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I've been creative writing all my life, though with various haitus(es) along the way. IFrom 2010 I started this blog and enjoyed sharing writing and other information with everyone. illness and bereavement supplied the more recent hiatus.

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

Announcing As Cool as a Cucumber Flashfest


The idea for this Blogfest came to me when I was reading a great post by Rachna Chhabria on Avoiding the Dreaded Clichés in which she refers to the overuse of clichéd phrases (expressions, ideas, or elements of an artistic work that have been overused rendering them stereotypical) and well worn/ obvious similes and metaphors in amateur writing.

She believes that 'Clichés should be given a royal burial. There is no place for them in a good piece of writing'.   

So, a little sprite whispered in my ear and suggested a fun challenge to turn the cliché on its head, using irony and satire and making it the subject of a flash fiction piece. Make it the twist on the punch line to your story. Or make it a witty observation: e.g. Rachel's Holiday by Marion Keyes (1997) He kept touching his hair, which, as well as being dyed to within an inch of its life, was blow dryed flicked and rigid with spray.
Or it can even be poetry, limericks, short excerpts from our stories with clichés added liberally.

You may choose whichever idiom you like, such as 'The cat that got the cream'; 'As cool as a cucumber'; 'As good as gold', 'Kick the bucket' Max word count 400 words


If you're game then sign up to the linky and post your entry on Monday 5th December. Let us know what you think.


1.
Donna Hole
5.
Elaine AM Smith
9.
The Golden Eagle
2.
Old Kitty
6.
Patsy
3.
L' Aussie
7.
Madeleine Begun Kane
4.
Karla
8.
Madeleine



Margo Kelly also has a great post on cliches

Posted by scribbleandedit.blogspot.co.uk at 20:50

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous1 November 2011 at 22:13

    Cool blogfest. I have some posts already scheduled, so I need to see if I can participate or not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. klahanie2 November 2011 at 03:21

    Whoops, I avoid them like the plague....

    ReplyDelete
  3. scribbleandedit.blogspot.co.uk2 November 2011 at 09:57

    That's great Madeia. I have changed the date so that you have a month to think up a flash piece.

    Ho Ho! Very funny use of the idiom Gary. I love it. :O)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Donea Lee2 November 2011 at 19:01

    Hi, Madeleine! This sounds like a fun blogfest! Let me stew on it... I'm doing Nano, but I'll see if I can squeeze it in. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown2 November 2011 at 20:19

    That sounds like a fun idea! Must think if I can come up with anything... Your post made me realise that I used "kick the bucket" in my most recent piece of writing. Argh! I know it's a cliche, but it's in someone's dialogue... and I thought maybe I could get away with it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maurice Mitchell3 November 2011 at 14:09

    Great idea for a blogfest. Can't wait to see the results. ***New follower***

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3 November 2011 at 14:54

    Fun idea! More fun than a barrel of monkeys! ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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