Failure to Avoid Repetition, Redundancy and Pet Phrases

!±8± Failure to Avoid Repetition, Redundancy and Pet Phrases

Nothing grates on readers' nerves more than reading the same sentences and phrases over and over and over and. Of course it is necessary to reiterate points and recapitulate ideas mentioned earlier in your book. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you do, make certain that you phrase your point somewhat differently every time. Otherwise you are likely to unknowingly commit the Three Cardinal Sins of Authorial Laziness. As noted in the heading, these are:

1. Repetition
2. Redundancy
3. Pet words and phrases

Though they may seem the same, each is a distinct sin all its own. Repetition is repeating the same idea or information in the same words at several different points in your manuscript. Of course, there are many times when you need to remind readers of ideas and information you have previously touched on or introduced. But find fresh, new way of saying it. Repeating it in almost exactly the same words is the literary version of the old water torture.

After the third time, the reader is willing to do anything not to have to experience it again a fourth. Redundancy is making a point again that has been made so often the reader becomes sick of it and says, "Okay, I got it already! Let is get on to something new." Unlike repetition, you are not necessarily repeating yourself word for word. Indeed, you may be saying it in a fresh, new way. Instead, redundancy is reiterating something you have said so often it no longer needs or bears reiterating. To do so again is redundant.

Pet words and phrases are habitual ways of putting things that creep into your writing, which can prove equally grating. This is different from repetition because you are not representing the same idea over and over in the same terms. Instead, you are overusing a word like "instead" (which I used three times in this section). Sports writers often overuse words like "slugger," movie reviewers "exhilarating," "romp," "triumph," etc.

What words and phrases do you overuse when writing? Naturally, in writing the first draft of something as long as a book, it is easy to fall into repetition, redundancy and the overuse of pet words and phrases. No one can be expected to remember the precise way they worded an idea a hundred pages earlier; or to stop the writing flow dozens of times daily to review every sentence they have already written. Instead, review your manuscript after you finish it. Eliminate repetition, redundancy and pet phrases wherever you find them.

Hint: If you write on a computer, the "search" or "find" function on your word processing program can be a big help.