Episode 17

Chase Replogle

Your Clichés Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Every writer knows to avoid cliché, but we still can't help ourselves. What do they suggest about our writing? They are more dangerous than you might expect.
Every writer knows to avoid cliché, but we still can't help ourselves. What do they suggest about our writing? They are more dangerous than you might expect.
00:00 22:50

Show Notes:17. Chase Replogle — Your Clichés Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Every writer knows to avoid cliché, but we still can’t help ourselves. Like garden weeds, we pluck them only to find them growing again the next day. Good writers keep weeding, but why do cliches come so naturally? What do they suggest about our writing? They are more dangerous than you might expect.

Sol Stein, in his highly recommended Stein on Writing, explains:

“A cliché is a hackneyed phrase — stale, trite, banal, commonplace, corny, dull, musty, redundant, repetitious, tedious, threadbare, timeworn, tired, tiresome, worn-out, boring. If you prefer to focus on just one definition, it should be ‘tired from over use.’ Clichés weaken your message, having little or no effect on the reader.”

Stein continues:

“Words have power. Words strung together in clichés have lost some or all of their power. Clichés are a sign of a tired mind that settles for a well-worn rut instead of climbing to exciting new heights. Your job as a writer is to energize people, not put them to sleep.”

  • I’ve been hunting with Millie for twelve years. Not sure how many more I’ll get, but this was another good one.
  • South Dakota pheasant hunting with my dad and brother.
  • It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
  • And some more…
  • Some photos from Paris.
  • Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
  • Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
  • A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. 

“In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.”

Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
  • “Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.”

Mark Batterson
Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
  • A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
I’ve been hunting with Millie for twelve years. Not sure how many more I’ll get, but this was another good one.
I’ve been hunting with Millie for twelve years. Not sure how many more I’ll get, but this was another good one.
I’ve been hunting with Millie for twelve years. Not sure how many more I’ll get, but this was another good one.
I’ve been hunting with Millie for twelve years. Not sure how many more I’ll get, but this was another good one.
1 day ago
View on Instagram |
1/10
South Dakota pheasant hunting with my dad and brother.
South Dakota pheasant hunting with my dad and brother.
South Dakota pheasant hunting with my dad and brother.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/10
It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/10
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/10
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
5/10
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
6/10
Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
7/10
A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. 

“In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.”

Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. “In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.” Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
8/10
“Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.”

Mark Batterson
Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
“Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.” Mark Batterson Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
3 months ago
View on Instagram |
9/10
A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
3 months ago
View on Instagram |
10/10

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