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I've been mulling over this question. Doesn't really seem like a black and white answer kind of thing, since there are many ways to skin a cat, but I would love to hear opinions from you all who have been doing this longer than I
Where is the line between trite and overused story elements (for instance, the thousandth treatment of "stray dog befriends lonely person and they live happily ever after" ala Chicken Soup for the Soul), versus things that are "real" (something that could happen to a real person, not just a made up one, which brings the story closer to home to the reader) and perennial? For instance, a story about a broken family which could be about Joe Smith down the street. Or even, to be fair, a stray dog and a lonely person, which could also be about almost anyone.
I guess it's in the way the writer treats it.
What do you all think? Just curious.
Where is the line between trite and overused story elements (for instance, the thousandth treatment of "stray dog befriends lonely person and they live happily ever after" ala Chicken Soup for the Soul), versus things that are "real" (something that could happen to a real person, not just a made up one, which brings the story closer to home to the reader) and perennial? For instance, a story about a broken family which could be about Joe Smith down the street. Or even, to be fair, a stray dog and a lonely person, which could also be about almost anyone.
I guess it's in the way the writer treats it.
What do you all think? Just curious.