Repetition—A Matter of Style

Just write. Get the first draft down without thinking about it… Just do it.

For me, putting down a first draft is magical. The characters take over, the ideas flow and the dialogue takes your plot in unforeseen directions. But when I read over my surging words of creativity, I realise that repetition has crept into the work and that needs to be assiduously weeded out.

I have a tendency to overuse certain words and phrases such as smiling, feeling, frowned and ‘took a deep breath’. I also add extraneous words that I don’t need. She stood up. He sat down. She screamed loudly. Three words that are not needed at all, at all, at all.

Another major flaw is my inclination to belabour a point. I find in the first draft I often have up to three different paragraphs all saying the same thing but with different words or with the smallest of twists. This is demonstrated in the first line of this blog. Readers find this particularly annoying, as it implies they are not bright enough to get your message the first time.

I also use appellations repetitively. I will name a character time and time again when there are only two people in the scene and he or she will suffice. Miss Baker will look out the window. Miss Baker will sit down. Miss Baker will stand up. Miss Baker will scream loudly. Oh no, here we go again. When I go over my first draft, it’s not uncommon to find I’ve started several paragraphs on one page with Miss Baker…. Boring, boring, boring!

I’m finding that the more I write and edit my work the more aware I become of my tendency to be repetitive. I am using repetitions less and I’m starting to see the repetitions in my first read through and can correct them quickly. Except I’ve just used the word repetitions, or its derivatives, four times in the above paragraph. Sneaky little things.

The trouble with repeating ideas, words and phrases is that it’s damned annoying for the reader and slows down your pacing. Learning to spot the problems and editing them out is important and will make your writing zing.

But you say, can’t repetition be a helpful literary device? Homer’s Oedipus certainly uses repetition as a literary device when he writes about the “wine dark sea” which he uses 12 times in the text. It is thought that this type of repeated phrase is a device to assist oral story tellers remember the story line.

Then there’s Martin Luther-Kings’ speech “I had a dream.” A repeated phrase which provides emphasis and also gives the speech a rhythm and flow that captures attention. Repetitions are often used in speeches deliberately to hammer home a idea.

I recently had the pleasure of critiquing another writers’ first draft and noticed they repeated a characters action at least three times on the first page. It made the action stand out and emphasised the point that the character was skilled in meditation and philosophy. Over use or a useful device to emphasis the characters’ abilities?

Repetitions are a double-edged sword. They can sneak in uninvited and slow your writing down or you can use them deliberately and they can be a powerful literary device. Awareness is important so after the first draft look out for unplanned repetitions and cut, cut, cut.

Cheers,

Elsie King ©2023

Photo attributed to Creative Commons