Common Error #30: "She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding..."

Excellent assassination of this cliché:
https://germmagazine.com/i-let-out-a-breath-i-didnt-realize-i-was-holding/?fbclid=IwAR1o_w5JfcGU7-58ltOXDfZU83W4_5lCvi9_YxhAQ7b-Mkt9u0fluHympGQ

On Common Errors in Fiction

Andromeda Spaceways, the Australian SF magazine, has a helpful and amusing article by Douglas A. Van Belleon on the most common reasons they reject a story. Pretty accurate and comprehensive list of reasons your story might not be working (though I've added one additional suggestion in the comments section). Worth a look!

Story Cliches

I was considering submitting a story to Strange Horizons Magazine and happened upon this list of "Stories We've Seen Too Often" attached to their "Guidelines" page. I was laughing heartily at the hopeless hackneyed ideas of these unsophisticated and unimaginative beginners. . . when I realized that the story I intended to submit was #5 on the list.

*Sigh*

Clearly there is no point submitting this story to any SF venue if my plot is #5 (on a list of 51) SF cliches.

There is nothing for it but to throw it out. . . to CanLit markets. (Well, might be new idea to their editors!)