I'm writing a romantic story, but it seems too cliche to me and I can't really make it my own without any ideas. Anyone have any ideas?
12 year old writer.
"Don't worry if people remember you only when they need you. Feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness."
Reader! Loving every great little thing in a great big book.
One of the easiest ways to breathe new life into cliche stories is to justify your cliches. Basically, give them a reason in-story for happening in the cliche way instead of a non-cliche way. If you justify your cliches, then they won't feel so cliche.
"Don't worry if people remember you only when they need you. Feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness."
Reader! Loving every great little thing in a great big book.
Hey ESR So, we have a romanticist here, eh? Well, let's get onto my ideas for you
Okay, so the first step to do is to first KNOW what your cliches are. If you think the plot that the girl falls in love with the boy is tiring and pretty much exhausted already, try adding spice into it. Why did the girl fall in love with the boy? Maybe because she can't see the boy clearly. Maybe because the boy used a magic spell or something. My point is, almost every topic in the world had been executed one way or another by one or two of over one billion authors, but what makes the topic NOT cliche? How you execute it. So, with a one phrase plot of 'Girl falls in love with boy', continue by adding an independent clause of 'because he's like this and that' which you deem YOUnique
Well, hope I helped, dear
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"Don't worry if people remember you only when they need you. Feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness."
Reader! Loving every great little thing in a great big book.
1. As Alfred said, know your cliches. Know your archetypes, too. Know how your plot progresses and make it interesting. A cliche can work, but it requires more work than that once-in-a-lifetime idea. But most of what we write is somewhat 'already done', because obviously someone has done it before, but we can always hope to make the idea better. I suggest checking out TV Tropes if you have an endless supply of time.
2. Find your voice. The best thing a writer can do is find their voice, because every person's voice is different. It's what sets you apart from everyone else. It's why Robin McKinley and Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper can all write fantasy, with similar themes, but all their books are clearly their own. This doesn't mean every character or book should sound alike, but the background should have your own touch, something that is yours. This is easier said than done, I suppose, but if need be, I'll get a few articles for you.
"Don't worry if people remember you only when they need you. Feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness."
Reader! Loving every great little thing in a great big book.
So, we have a romanticist here, eh? Well, let's get onto my ideas for you 
