We write about ourselves to make sense of our chaos. But writing this kind of stuff goes a lot deeper than that. We write non fiction, really we write about ourselves, so that we become less lonely. Repetition can give your writing rhythm. It is sometimes required when a specific phrase needs to be emphasized.
In writing, repetition can occur with single words, phrases, or even ideas. Repetition is a literary device that involves using the same word or phrase over and over again in a piece of writing or speech. Repetition is a literary device that involves intentionally using a word or phrase for effect, two or more times in a speech or written work.
As you use other writing tools, use the power of repetition to strengthen the fiction, the story, the emotion. Repetition of background details is probably one of the most annoying things in a novel.
Repetition for emphasis, as in your example, is a potent rhetoric tool. Used judiciously it gives the writer an unparalleled authorial command. Excellent tips, Beth. Down right annoying, it was, so I rewrote parts of it. I like to repeat something in the novel as the final line of the book. It sort of ties everything together, somehow. At least, I think it does. Olivia, I know exactly what you mean about tying the final line to something used earlier in the book.
I love to do that myself and I love reading it in novels. Not so much as hukt on foniks dialect, but phrases, words that define their rhythm and voice?
That was the question. Said said said. Or am I missing something? Phil, many writing experts recommend said because it is often nearly invisible.
However, if said used over and over in every line or paragraph of dialogue, it becomes much more noticeable. It can be overused. The expert use of dialogue tags and action beats takes practice. Readers would get just as ticked off about extra lines of action used to identify a speaker as they would about overuse of said. And sometimes you want dialogue to flow without any extra words, just the speech itself.
Err on the side of using said over erring on writing out too many descriptive action beats to identify a speaker. Use them when necessary, of course.
What about writing from first person POV. When your character is thinking something repeatedly; over and over again. What do you do? Trying to edit my first novel, written over a period of 30 years. Trying to sew the pieces together is like using baling wire to patch an umbrella. After rewriting the bits and scraps of notes onto my computer I did some word finds and was appalled at the numbers of repetitions. I have been creating my own thesaurus to painstakingly rewrite the document.
I used different characters in other settings to accomplish this. I appreciate all the words of experience that have been offered by other authors. Will Not Be Published Required. For more information on repetition, check out this post by Fiction Editor Beth […]. A useful trick here is, when you think you have one, to run a find and replace in your manuscript to see how often it comes up and potentially to highlight occurrences.
This sort of repetition would be too much for older children or adults, but you might be able to use repetition on a different scale in your work. That could be:.
Three feels complete. In The Gruffalo , there are three encounters between the mouse and large animals — a fox, owl and snake — and each of these proceeds in exactly the same way. The surprise twist comes half-way through the book. Three is also memorable. The repetition should matter. In a novel, it might be used to help link two scenes potentially to create a sense of contrast or even humour.
Repetition could also be significant for the plot. Is it effective? Think about how you might use repetition in your own work — in large and small ways — to add extra depth or make it more memorable.
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