By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Oh, the curse of redundancy. It slashes through our writing with woes from our readers. The practice can cost a writer publication or lose readers. Expendable words and phrases don’t have to destroy our writing projects. A writer can master techniques to avoid them.

Remember the old joke about Pete and Repeat?

“Pete & Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out and who was left?”

“Repeat?”

“Ok. Pete & Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out & who was left?”

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writingtips #BRMCWC”]Saying It Again: The Curse of Redundancy in Writing by @DiAnnMills on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

We groan and soon tire of the game, just like our readers tire of our writing. They put it aside and may never read anything we’ve authored again.

What are a few tips that will help us avoid redundancy?

Delete redundant word pairing.

Example:

Each and every

End result

Basic fundamentals

First priority

Close proximity

Choose strong verbs over weak ones

Example:

He ran quickly – He raced

He talked quietly – He whispered

She moved slowly – She crawled

I missed my mother because she wasn’t home – I longed for my mother

Refuse to repeat the obvious

Example:

She nodded his head in agreement – She nodded

He shook his head in denial – He shook

Avoid repeating the same thing in two ways.

Example:

In my opinion, I think that — Use either I think or In my opinion

I might retch and throw up – Use ether retch or throw up

He teared up and wept – Use either teared up or wept

Avoid beginning sentences in the same manner.

Example:

She woke at the sound of the alarm and dressed for work. She brewed coffee, then brushed her teeth. She packed her lunch. She took the bus to work. She arrived on time.

Cut information from one scene to another that is repetitive.

Example:

A teen has experienced an argument with her mother about attending an unchaperoned party. This scene is written as it happens, word for word, with action and emotion. The teen grabs her keys and leaves. The passage is filled with conflict, and the reader grasps every word.

In a future scene, the teen tells her girlfriend the entire conversation, a repeat of what the reader already knows. The reader skips, perhaps frustrated, and looks for a new scene.

Recommendation: “Mom and I argued about the party. She . . . ”

This eliminates the redundancy. If something else occurred after the teen left her mother that the reader is unaware of, then add it to the conversation.

“Mom and I argued about the party. She . . . ”

“I’m sorry. Your mom’s so strict.”

“That’s not all. She called me and said I was grounded.”

Read aloud or use text-to-voice software to eliminate echoes: repeated words and phrases in a passage.

Redundancy can be a challenge to any writer. ProWritingAid points out areas of our writing that need improvement including repetition. Other resources are available too. Critique partners and writing groups allow the writer to obtain needed feedback and help other writers.

Do you have a tip to help overcome redundancy?