If You're Thinking of Writing a Cliche...

#1 Cliche - Werewolves

The #1 cliche I've noticed is in the werewolf category.  Ninety percent of werewolf stories go like this:

1. The main character complains about how they haven't found their mate, and they were losing hope OR he/she will be saying how they enjoy the freedom of not having a mate, because then they can jump in the sack with any hot person they find.

(Let me also point out that they're only about 15-18 years old) and did I mention he's an Alpha and/or King/Prince of the Werewolves?

2. Suddenly, there's a new person in town who is either a werewolf or a human, and the main character finds their mate in this new person.  (What a coincidence that they happen to find the love of their life the same day they were just talking about how they were losing hope or didn't want to settle down.) Sometimes, there's sex involved right away because they can't control their wolf, or the player alpha jumps in bed with some girl/boy who he uses to only satisfy his/her needs and to forget about the new mate they just found.  Sometimes, the new person's pack was attacked and somehow, they're the only surviving member.

3. If the new kid is a human, there is usually a pack rule stating that humans are dirty creatures and it's against the law to mate with them, or that person is secretly a werewolf in disguise or some other mythical creature.  If the new kid is also a werewolf, then they must be from another pack or completely rogue, in which case the main characters wolf pack has a strong hatred of them.  Either that, or they reject each other and pretend to hate their mate, while 'accidentally' bumping into them or pushing them into closets in order to make out with them in their school halls.  

4. There's some weird, UNKNOWN POV that wants to kill the main character's mate for some completely unbeknownst to us (the readers) reason, usually it winds up being that he's just power hungry and believes that if he kills or kidnaps the Alpha's mate then he'll just automatically be able to rule over that region.  

5. The werewolf finally tells his/her mate what they are (if the mate is human) and the mate is completely okay with that, she/he has absolutely NO problem suddenly believing in a mythical creature and doesn't even ask for proof that that he's telling the truth and never even thinks about the fact he may just be mentally insane.  They then have sex and he/she claims their mate by biting them during orgasm, which is apparently not painful at all, but actually increases the pleasure.

6. The main characters pack suddeny accepts the rogue/ rival pack member/ human into their life with no single problem, the alpha and his/her mate get married, and have 3.5 children, and live happily ever after.

So I just went to the Werewolf category, and I'm going to read the very top story (not going to tell you the name of it) and then when I'm either finished with the story, or get bored/disgusted with it, I'll come back and tell you just how many bases (above) that story covered, rant about it a little bit and get on to telling you just how to improve a cliche werewolf story.

Can I point out that I like her 'author's note' in the very beginning?  If you can even call it an Author's Note.  But no, I'm not being sarcastic.  It gave you warning that the story would follow a complicated relationship, that she will end chapters with cliffhangers sometimes, that she's completely aware she has grammar mistakes (doesn't everyone though?  Nobody can be perfect) and that the first chapter contained a bit of sexual content, though it wouldn't be a lot.  It was straight to the point.  It didn't go on and on about her day, or how she came up with the idea for her story (which I do, sometimes in my AN's).  That's how you do it, people.

So I just got through the first chapter, there was already a sex scene (no details, thankfully but still, the point remains, though I already knew there would be by her AN), the main characters have not yet found each other as their mates, but unfortunately we already know that the mate of the Prince of Werewolves is going to be the daughter of one of the most sought after rogues. So the prince uses some poor whore-ish bimbo to satisfy his needs, acts unemotional with her and then prompty kicks her out of his room after he's had what he wanted. It switches point of view twice in one chapter (which is a no-no, just for future reference).  If you're going to switch POV's, do it only once a chapter.  The alpha one chapter, the mate the next chapter, etc.