Last Friday, my post addressed the length of sentences used when you're writing a story. Today, let's look at a small problem many writers have. Repetition of words. We do it without thinking. Our mind is intent on the story or essay, and we repeat words too close together. Small things like this can annoy the reader, and we certainly don't want to do that, do we? Below, you will find a revised former post on repetition of words.
This photo has nothing to do with today's topic. I used it because I liked it and I could not find one that was appropriate for today's post. So enjoy the image above and read on.
Many of you know that I belong to an online writing group. We submit our writing and critique the writing of other members. When reading another writer's work, the little errors jump out. If we are editing our own writing, we tend to skip right over small mechanical things.
One of the problems I note in so many of the pieces I critique is the repetition of words. A big deal? No. It's a small matter, but fixing the problem will make the piece read more smoothly and will subconsciously please the reader. If a writer repeats words too often, the reader can become annoyed. Sounds ridiculous, but I find myself irritated by reading the same words over again, especially if they are in the same sentence or same paragraph. My mind clicks into You already used that word,; find another.
Writers don't set out to see how often they can use a word in a 1200 word essay. Most aren't even aware they've done it until a critiquer points it out. Yes, we who critique are probably more conscious of it. I'd like to see all writers make themselves aware and search for repetition of words in their own writing.
Look at these examples of Bad and Better ways to eliminate repeated words:
BAD: Jerry liked some fruits, but not all of them. He liked some vegetables. He liked some meat but not every one.
BETTER: Jerry liked some fruits, but not all of them. He enjoyed a few vegetables. He savored several meats,but not every one.
BAD: I had a new blouse on the day I went for the interview. I wore the new blouse hoping to look smart and elegant. The new blouse helped me get the job.
BETTER: I had a new blouse on the day I went for the interview. I wore it, hoping to look smart and elegant. That pretty piece of clothing helped me get the job.
BAD: I was going too fast when the cop stopped me. I was hurrying because I was late for my doctor appointment.
BETTER: The cop stopped me for speeding. Late for my doctor appointment, I hurried a little too much.
BAD: Susie punched the time clock and sprinted down the narrow hallway to her workspace. Her workspace was a jumbled mess, but it was hers to do with whatever she wanted. At least, she told herself that whenever guilt threatened to creep in. She could scatter papers all over this workspace as long as she could sort things out enough to get her work done.
Better: Susie punched the time clock and sprinted down the narrow hallway to her workspace. The small area was a jumbled mess, but it was hers to do with whatever she wanted. At least, she told herself that whenver guilt threatened to creep in. She could scatter papers all over the desk as long as she could sort things out enough to complete her assignments.
One of the reasons we write using repetitive words is laziness. We need to think a little harder to come up with alternatives. We also consider words like the previous samples not important to the point we are trying to make, so we gloss over them.
What can you do to find and correct this type of mechanical error?
A. Read your work out loud. Some writers think this is rather stupid. Trust me, it is not. If you read your work out loud on a regular basis, the mistakes that pop out will surprise you.
B. Train yourself to look for repeated words. The more you look for the problem, the easier it will be to note when it occurs. Because I've critiqued other writers' work for a long time, seeing this error comes more easily to me now than it did years ago.
C. Let your work sit before you edit. If you try to read and find errors soon after you finish the story or essay, you slide right by many little problems. Let your work simmer a few days at least, then read it. Most writers will be surprised by what they find then.
D. When using a name, alternate with pronouns. When writing about a person, say Mr. Ames, you don't want to constantly repeat his name. Use it once, then use he or his. A paragraph or two later, use his name again merely as a reminder to the reader who this is that you're talking about.
E. Make use of your thesaurus: If it's difficult to come up with an alternative for an over-used word, pull out your trusty friend, the thesaurus.
F. Be careful when using very long sentences. When we write lengthy sentences, we tend to repeat words. There is another reason not to use extremely long sentences. They easily become rife with mechanical errors.
The benefits of ridding your first draft, or the final one, of repetition, is that you will have a stronger piece of writing and will also please your readers. You can't eliminate 100% of repeating words, but you can definitely remedy a lot.
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