This week I pulled out my Kindle and read three self-published novels. As I’ve mentioned before, I love supporting other self-published authors. Plus, I always gain something from the reading experience… inspiration or a technique I want to apply to my own work. This go-around, I read two cozy mysteries and a psychological thriller. I really enjoyed all three. But I started to see a pattern.  All three authors repeated words and phrases and this pulled me out of their stories. It was like looking for Easter eggs, but cracked ones. I found myself hunting for, and even counting the repeated words.

Granted, as a writer myself, I understand how easy it is to repeat words. When I read my own pages, it’s even hard for me to spot my spelling errors. And I get it. We all have words and phrases that we’re naturally drawn to. They’re the words we use on a regular basis. They just seem to appear on the page when we write. But as writers, we’re supposed to watch for, spot, and change out these overused words, right? In theory, yes. But this is easier said then done. So why are repeated words and phrases so hard to eliminate?

I think it’s partially because when submit to critique groups we only give one chapter at a time. True, we also select beta readers to read our entire manuscript. But not all beta readers focus on repetition. Some hone in on believability, others plot, others dialogue, some character. What I’m saying is that our readers and our systems aren’t foolproof.

I also believe that more writers now rely on AI to edit their work. Financially, AI makes sense.  Line editors are expensive. To professionally line edit an 80,000 -word manuscript costs between $2,000 and $4,000. But it’s been my experience that writing and editing with ChatGPT leads to patterns, not just repeated words, but repeated metaphors, similes, sentence structures, and an overall style that feels familiar if you’re attuned to it.

And as far as repetition problem goes, many writers eager to send their manuscripts out or publish, also skip steps. They finish their first or second drafts and see themselves as done. When, in reality, their manuscript needs to be edited ten more times. I’ve been guilty of being an eager beaver writer myself. No judgement.

The question is: How do we make sure that we don’t fall victim to repeating phrases and words? Below are some tips.

1. Specifically ask beta readers to look for repetition (Words, info, and phrases) in your manuscript and have them read your entire manuscript.
2. Use AI (if you are comfortable doing so) but only as part of your editing process. Reedit your manuscript after AI has done its thing or hire a professional editor to check it.
3. Read your novel from start to finish, editing as your read. Make corrections and do this again, ten times. If there are patterns, trust me, you will catch them.
4. Read, read, read! This will motivate you to edit your own work. When what’s working and what isn’t is right there on the page, it’s hard to ignore.
5.  Type your go-to words and phrases into the search bar of your Word document, search for them, and replace them with other words and phrases.
6. Use word or emotions thesaurus to come up with different words and mannerisms/reactions to add variety to your writing.

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. Why does this matter? I’ve got a compelling plot, interesting characters, and I know how to write a scene and move a story forward? So, I overused the phrase “The world tilted” one too many times.

For me, repetition matters because my aim is to write the best book I can, and as they say, “the devil is in the details.” Not only that, when it comes to novel writing, the devil is in the repetition. Great writing is just about the big picture. It’s about catching the repeated words that quietly weaken out prose.

Thanks a ton for reading! Your thoughts are truly appreciated! Keep writing!