Fiction Writing - Repetition - a Common Error Frowned on by Editors

The most common fiction writing error - from my standpoint as an Editor - is repetition. It is evident in most manuscripts I review in varying proportions throughout the text. Extensive repetition is a sign that the writer has not spent enough time proofreading and editing their work. A high percentage of writers aspiring to be published don't even give repetition a second thought.

What is repetition?
If you look up "repetition" in the Thesaurus on your computer, the list of synonyms includes these words:

reappearance : replication : reiteration

Repetition in writing is the constant use of the same words and phrases. It can occur on the same page, or scattered throughout a manuscript. The most common repetitions are use of the words "he", "she" and the names of story characters. Some writers also latch onto a catchy phrase and it will then appear many times in the manuscript.

How does repetition in writing affect the reader?
Repetition in the text of a story or book slows the pace of the story and irritates the reader. A distracted reader will abandon the story or book in favor of something that is smoother to read. Remember, when you are submitting your work to publishers, the Editor is the first and most important person to read your work. If the Editor is irritated, there is no way your work will move forward in the editorial process.

How to spot repetition in a manuscript
The easiest way for a writer to spot repetition in their work is to concentrate on this one element at a time during proofreading work for editing purposes. Do a single pass with repetition as your sole focus. This involves scanning the text for instances of a particular words and phrases.

I recommend doing proofreading firstly on the screen and then on printed copy of your manuscript. This is lots of work, but well worth the effort.

During your screen surveillance, put bold onto any instances of repetition you spot so you can come back to these during the re-writing phase. Print the manuscript and use a use a red pen to circle any additional repetition you find.

How much self-editing is required to perfect a manuscript?
On the subject of self-editing the text of s story or novel, I consider a writing project to be one-fifth writing and four-fifths re-writing and editing. Repetition is just one of the things writers should be considering when working on the editing phase of their story.

During my time as a fiction book editor, I was extremely frustrated with seeing so much repetition in submitted manuscripts that I devised an electronic test that shows me exactly how much repetition there is. I am not prepared to share this "editing secret" as it has commercial value. But if a manuscript fails this test, it goes straight to the reject pile.

How can a writer eliminate repetition from the text of a manuscript?
Apart from paying more attention to proofreading and editing, there are some very simple rules that will assist you to eliminate repetition from your writing. I warn that using these rules will cause you to have to do massive amounts of re-writing if you have broken them. But the extra work will be well worth the effort.

The most efficient way to write is to adhere to these rules as you write.

Rule 1 - Words beginning sentences

Never start two consecutive sentences with the same word.

I have seen instances of six sentence paragraphs with each sentence starting with the same word. Fixing this will immediately elevate your manuscript a notch or two.

Rule 2 - Words beginning paragraphs

There should be at least four (4) paragraphs starting with different words before you use the same paragraph starting word again.

This provides the reader with a smoother ride through your story or book.

Rule 3 - Do focused page scans for other repetitions

Scan each page for extensive repetitive use of particular words other than "he", "she" and "character names".

The time you take to find all instances of repetitions in your work will be time well spent.

Rule 4 - Never repeat a descriptive phrase

Some writers get a bit carried away when they devise a great phrase. They start to use it every few pages - or several times on the same page. Don't turn your own brilliance into a cliché or an avoidable error.

Rule 5 - Make finding repetitions a separate editing run on your manuscript

Because eliminating repetition is such an important part of producing a high quality manuscript, make this a separate editing run on your story or book manuscript.

Summary
These rules are simple and easy to implement. After you use them a few times, your initial input to your manuscript will not contain as many repetitions. You'll be traveling on auto-pilot. The quality of your work will improve dramatically and you will enhance your chances of publication if you can demonstrate to an Editor that you have done the hard yards during the re-writing and editing phase of your writing project.

Source:
This article is an extract from an instructional book I am producing to show writers how improve their writing skills and fast-track their projects to success with a publisher.