Examples of idioms and cliches can serve as great
creative writing prompts.

Not only can examples of idioms and cliches be the basis for extra thought as you consider underlying meanings, but they can introduce phenomenal ideas for structuring your writing in all genres.

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You can use idiom examples or examples of cliches just as you use quotes and sayings or writer quotations. Take them in for all they mean. Ask questions about their underlying meanings, just as you might do for double entendres. Don't hold back what you take as meaning from any idiom or cliche. Let your understanding create inspired and unique meaning for you within your own style of writing.

What is an idiom, anyway? Idioms are expressions whose meanings are not necessarily predictable. Even though some may understand "for the birds" to mean "worthless" or "trivial," others may take its meaning more literally, despite the intended figurative language that is supposed to exist within the idiom. They might take it to mean that something is literally for the birds, and the birds must like it for that reason.

Even though it may sound ridiculous that people take figurative language literally from time to time, that is what sometimes makes for the most inspired writing. That is also the reason why you, as a gifted writer yourself, must use your gift to see all intended meanings -- figurative, literal, or any others available -- and use them wisely to increase the audience that enjoys reading what you write. The more meanings you see and incorporate into your writing, the more people who will find connections with your writing.

Examples of cliches are similar to examples of idioms, but the difference lies in the idea that cliches are frequently used for concepts that can be considered predictable. The likelihood of them being predictable revolves around the fact that they tend to be based off of prior knowledge. For instance, "avoid it like the plague," is an example of a cliche. Notice that "the plague" is something that has happened in the past, hence the predictability of it being something bad, and moreover, something that should be avoided at all costs. Also, the cliche "what goes around comes around" relies on the principle of predictability, as someone must have obviously had something happen to them as a result of something they did.

It is interesting to think that cliches are based off of prior knowledge, as this lends even more imagination to your writing. You can use examples from the past (from your own life or somewhere else) to make your cliche stand out and become more comprehensive.

You may not even choose to use the actual wording of the examples of idioms and cliches that you consider. You may just use them as starting points to explore your writing in more in-depth, critical ways. This will create a more conscious effort on your part to use writing prompts, cliches, idioms, and phrases as just what they are meant to be -- motivators for further exploration of the intricacies of your writing.

The following is a list of idioms and cliches. Use these to help inspire creative writing on your part. To take it even one step further, you might try writing something that does use the examples of idioms and cliches listed below, or others you may find. Write a TV script or some other form of dialogue where people must converse either solely with idioms and cliches, or partially, but make the cliches work off of one another in a creative, impressive way. You'll only find out what you're made of if you try writing activities like this to get your writing ideas to emerge full force!

A penny saved is a penny earned.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Let sleeping dogs lie.
Smell a rat.
You are what you eat.
Better late than never.
Easier said than done.
Gentle as a lamb.
Hit the nail on the head.
Shoulder the burden.

The ten aforementioned examples of idioms and cliches are most likely relatable in some way to your own life or stories you have heard about others. One example from my own life is based on "you are what you eat." When I was in elementary school, I would always eat an open-faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. Then, for lunch, I would have a close-faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sometimes my lunch would change, but I was always asked what I wanted for lunch, and peanut butter and jelly was always what I said. For years it went on like that, and once in a while my grandpa would tell me that I was going to turn into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if I wasn't careful. It lends credence to the idea that you truly "are what you eat," as I never stopped eating those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and more often than not, most days I still do have at least one of those sandwiches to appease my never-ending desire for them.

You might also want to check out the MasterWriter product website to help you find new ways to find idioms and cliches that will be helpful to you in your own writing. The program can help you come up with a wide variety of ideas.

So, do not discount the power of idioms or cliches. They can most definitely hold true in many circumstances.

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