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Block 3 · Lesson 5 — Avoiding Cliche, Humour and Style

11+ Creative Writing Fundamentals · Style & Refinement

📝 This is a lesson blueprint — the plan to build into a full interactive lesson. Adjust and add to it freely.

The Text

Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes

Maurice Leblanc · 1908

The gentleman-thief Arsène Lupin is pitted against “Herlock Sholmes”, a playful parody of the famous English detective. The two outwit each other through a series of daring thefts, disguises, and clever traps.

Activity Ideas

Write a haunted-house scene using obvious clichés.
Then rewrite it so the scene feels fresh, funny, surprising, or unusual.

Key Terms

Cliché

An overused phrase, image, character, or situation.

Satire

Writing that mocks or criticises human behaviour, society, or ideas.

Subversion

Deliberately overturning the reader’s expectations.

Why This Matters

Original style often comes from knowing what readers expect and then changing it. Leblanc plays with the detective story by pitting his charming thief against a parody of Sherlock Holmes, turning a familiar formula on its head. Students learn to avoid predictable writing.