How to spot and fix those sneaky repetitions that weaken your prose.
Aside from a great one liner, a declaration of love, or a juicy piece of gossip, most people don’t like to hear the same thing over and over. This is doubly true for readers, and repeating yourself in a novel can make your story feel redundant, stale, or even poorly edited.
When you consider a typical novel runs between 80,000 and 100,000 words, it’s no wonder words (and even ideas) get repeated. Some of those words readers don’t notice (such as said) and others stand out even if you only used them once or twice (like antidisestablishmentarianism).
Where you reveal information matters in a story. The right spot can heighten tensions and emotions, the wrong spot can kill it. Trouble is, it’s not always clear where the best spot to reveal that information is, so it’s common in a first draft to add a detail when you think you need it, then add it later when you actually do, then decide it should go somewhere else later on. But if you forget all those bits are there, they wind up giving readers a sense of déjà vu.
In a first draft, repeat things as much as you need to find the right spot. You’re still working out the story and it’s easier to add things and cut later than to stop your momentum and edit. And if you actually want to repeat those details, by all means leave them in. But once that draft is done, pay attention to when information is revealed and make sure you take out the extra mentions.
When you consider a typical novel runs between 80,000 and 100,000 words, it’s no wonder words (and even ideas) get repeated. Some of those words readers don’t notice (such as said) and others stand out even if you only used them once or twice (like antidisestablishmentarianism).
Repetition drags down your pacing and makes even strong prose feel clunky.
Repetition interrupts a scene, no matter how well-written it is. Instead of pulling readers forward, the repetitions make readers think, “Didn’t I just read that?” and pulls them out of the narrative instead. Even a well-crafted line loses its power if readers trip over the same word, phrase, or detail again and again.
What makes repetition especially sneaky, is that it doesn’t always stand out while you’re drafting. It slips in through habit, placeholder writing, or the urge to make sure readers “get it.” But once you know where repetition likes to hide, it’s much easier to root it out and fix it.
While it’s impossible to go back and check every instance of every word to see how often and where you used it, a little awareness of what you’re saying can not only tighten your novel, but make the story read more smoothly.
Let’s look at some areas at high risk for repetition.
Let’s look at some areas at high risk for repetition.
1. Repeated Information that Sneaks Past the First Draft
Where you reveal information matters in a story. The right spot can heighten tensions and emotions, the wrong spot can kill it. Trouble is, it’s not always clear where the best spot to reveal that information is, so it’s common in a first draft to add a detail when you think you need it, then add it later when you actually do, then decide it should go somewhere else later on. But if you forget all those bits are there, they wind up giving readers a sense of déjà vu.
In a first draft, repeat things as much as you need to find the right spot. You’re still working out the story and it’s easier to add things and cut later than to stop your momentum and edit. And if you actually want to repeat those details, by all means leave them in. But once that draft is done, pay attention to when information is revealed and make sure you take out the extra mentions.
Pro tip: Make a list of key details that need to be in the story and check to see where else you’ve mentioned them.
(Here’s more with Why You Should Keep Track of Your Story Details)
We all have favorite crutch phrases when we write. I’m partial to “eyes widened” and “fell into step beside her” and I always have to check how many times I’ve used those in a draft. Maybe you have favorite reactions, or ways to show a particular emotion, and your own phrases you fall back on every book. These phrases feel natural because they’re part of our voice, but if they appear on every page, they start to draw attention away from the story.
Some favorite phrases are book specific, such a fantasy that uses made-up swears, or a historical novel that uses local sayings to add flavor. Then there are the stock descriptions we fall back on, like a similar way of always describing a smell or a sound.
(Here’s more with Why You Should Keep Track of Your Story Details)
2. Repeated Phrases You Love too Much
We all have favorite crutch phrases when we write. I’m partial to “eyes widened” and “fell into step beside her” and I always have to check how many times I’ve used those in a draft. Maybe you have favorite reactions, or ways to show a particular emotion, and your own phrases you fall back on every book. These phrases feel natural because they’re part of our voice, but if they appear on every page, they start to draw attention away from the story.
Some favorite phrases are book specific, such a fantasy that uses made-up swears, or a historical novel that uses local sayings to add flavor. Then there are the stock descriptions we fall back on, like a similar way of always describing a smell or a sound.
Pro-tip: If something sounds a little too familiar to you, you might check for how often you use that line or something close to it. If it shows up a lot, do a quick search and swap out a few to keep the prose fresh.
(Here’s more with That Sounds Familiar: Cut Often-Used Words in Your Writing)
Smiled, looked, frowned, shrugged, sighed, scowled, etc. These solid, always-good verbs show emotions, and boy do we overuse them. There’s nothing inherently wrong with such words, but if you notice you have a lot of “He smiled” or “She frowned” instead of more descriptive emotions, it could be a red flag you're not fleshing out your scenes enough.
Also be wary of movement words, such as walked, ran, turned, stood, sat, stopped, etc. While these are all useful words, if your protagonist always walks, but never sneaks or shambles, or tip toes, or scurries, you could be missing out on opportunities to develop the story, add flavor, or deepen the mood of a scene.
(Here’s more with That Sounds Familiar: Cut Often-Used Words in Your Writing)
3. Repeated Common Words that Don’t Add Much to the Story
Smiled, looked, frowned, shrugged, sighed, scowled, etc. These solid, always-good verbs show emotions, and boy do we overuse them. There’s nothing inherently wrong with such words, but if you notice you have a lot of “He smiled” or “She frowned” instead of more descriptive emotions, it could be a red flag you're not fleshing out your scenes enough.
Also be wary of movement words, such as walked, ran, turned, stood, sat, stopped, etc. While these are all useful words, if your protagonist always walks, but never sneaks or shambles, or tip toes, or scurries, you could be missing out on opportunities to develop the story, add flavor, or deepen the mood of a scene.
Pro-tip: These words are often great opportunities to deepen a scene or character, and might even be weak spots that could use a little more fleshing out.
(Here's more with Five Ways to Kick Your Writing up a Notch)
Sometimes we can’t avoid using a word twice in close proximity. But when the same word shows up in the same sentence or paragraph, it usually hits the reader's ear funny. The repeats stand out, and that can jar readers right out of the story.
(Here's more with Five Ways to Kick Your Writing up a Notch)
4. Repeated Words too Close Together
Sometimes we can’t avoid using a word twice in close proximity. But when the same word shows up in the same sentence or paragraph, it usually hits the reader's ear funny. The repeats stand out, and that can jar readers right out of the story.
The easiest way to find repetitions is to read large chunks of your manuscript in one sitting and pay attention to the text. You’re not reading for the story, you’re checking the words and how they flow. When you spot repetitions, edit one out.
Pro-tip: Many writers have had success converting their document to text-to-speech and listening to the scenes. Our ears pick up on awkward phrases faster than our eyes do.
(Here’s more with Get Over Overstating: Trimming Unnecessary Words in Your Manuscript)
(Here’s more with Get Over Overstating: Trimming Unnecessary Words in Your Manuscript)
5. Repeated Structures that Put Readers to Sleep
Even if your word choices are varied, your sentence rhythm can still fall into repetition. Common offenders here are always putting the dialogue tags in the same places, starting a sentence with introductory clauses, and talk-move-talk dialogue. How you format the words is just as important as the words used. For example:Bob ran to the door, stopped, dropped and rolled. His gun fell, sliding toward the couch, vanishing underneath. He swore, cursing his butterfingers, while crawling closer. The zombie charged, drooling all over the floor, growling like an animal. Bob grabbed the gun, swung it around, pulled the trigger. You are getting sleepy, very sleepy…Hear the similar rhythm? It’s almost hypnotic, and not in a good way. Vary your sentences so the rhythm flows more naturally and breaks the sentences up.
Pro-tip: Watch out for large paragraphs of text, or a lot of short one-line sentences in a row. Quite often, you'll find a lot of list-like prose in both.
(Here’s more with 4 Ways to Keep Your Sentences From All Sounding the Same)
(Here’s more with 4 Ways to Keep Your Sentences From All Sounding the Same)
The upside to repetitions, is that they’re probably one of the easier things to edit.
They tend to stand out so we can find them, and they often give us specific words to search for, and trimming them not only tightens your manuscript—it also cuts down word count (perfect if your draft is running long).
Most importantly, eliminating repetitions keeps your prose fresh. Readers will stay immersed in your story, page after page, and won't feel like they're read this all before.
Most importantly, eliminating repetitions keeps your prose fresh. Readers will stay immersed in your story, page after page, and won't feel like they're read this all before.
EXERCISE FOR YOU: Take ten minutes with your current manuscript and search for one of your favorite crutch words (smiled, looked, sighed, shrugged). Note how many times it appears, then rewrite the ones you don't absolutely need with fresher options.
What’s your biggest crutch word or phrase? How many times do you think it shows up in your draft?
What’s your biggest crutch word or phrase? How many times do you think it shows up in your draft?
*Originally published June 2018. Last updated September 2025.
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A strong story has many parts, and when one breaks down, the whole book can fail. Make sure your story is the best it can be to keep your readers hooked.
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft Omnibus offers eleven self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.
She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.
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Need help revising? Get all three Fixing Your Revision Problems books in one omnibus!
This book contains Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems, Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems, and Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems--PLUS a BONUS workshop: How to Salvage Half-Finished Manuscripts. A strong story has many parts, and when one breaks down, the whole book can fail. Make sure your story is the best it can be to keep your readers hooked.
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft Omnibus offers eleven self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:
- Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
- Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
- Create unpredictable plots that keep readers guessing
- Develop compelling hooks to build tension in every scene
- Determine the right way to include information without infodumping
- Fix awkward stage direction and unclear character actions
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book. She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.
Very right. Repetition can do all kinds of harm; our writer's group calls it a "stutter" when words get reused, and often any word but the most common can be a problem if it even appears twice on the same page.
ReplyDeleteAlthough sometimes a word is inescapable; if two people are wrestling over a gun, "gun" is going to reappear-- but we should still make some effort to keep it fresh. ("The barrel" or "pistol" can help, though we shouldn't be afraid to use the obvious.) The one that drives me nuts is how rarely there's a non-silly alternative for "the building."
That most stubborn case might be "the he-hes," when too many sentences begin with the same He, or She. Swapping the character's name back in helps a little, but not as much as you'd think-- in this case it's the whole grammar that's repetitive; mixing in sentences with something else as their subject (from the environment? an "If"?) would make the whole narrative more layered than just a stream of What He Did Next. It's certainly better than "Burly Detective Syndrome," where writers try too hard to find alternatives to names and pronouns.
And, all of this has to do with *unintended* repetition. Any time we repeat a word because we're actually trying to remind readers of its last use and compare them, the effect can be different.
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields..."
Great phrase, "stutter." Good clarifications as well for when repetition is just fine, or even intentional.
DeleteA great topic to spend time on today -- conscious, deliberate repetition is a wonderful tool for any writer -- which is all the more reason to get rid of the unconscious, accidental repetitions. Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteThe "Repeated Common Words that Don’t Add Much to the Story" are ones I look for as I write my first draft. Sometimes the word used is the best one but I try not to have them in the same paragraph, or, better yet, not on the same page.
ReplyDeleteRepeated phrases are something I put in with cliches, which I also avoid during the first draft.
I have a list of words I tend to overuse, and I search for them on the first edit pass.
DeleteI have a particular problem with 'smile' and 'laugh.' I have a protagonist who does both a lot, and I have trouble figuring out how to keep it fresh. Suggestions welcome!
ReplyDeleteSo many do, which is why "The Emotional Thesaurus" has done so well for Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (grin).
DeleteI look for other clues and physical traits of happiness, or go one layer deeper to see what other emotions are at play in the scene. For example, if the character is laughing, is it because something was funny or is she feeling carefree? Is she flirting? What are her reasons for smiling and laughing all the time? If she's the protagonist, her life can't be all THAT good (grin). There must be some bad stuff going on.
Treat it the same way we treat ideas--don't grab the first thing that comes to mind. If she's smiling, what else is she feeling right then? What other reaction will show something new about her or the situation? Can she think a "smiling" or "happy" thought instead of having a physical reaction?
Thanks! I just got the Emotional Thesaurus, and it looks super helpful.
DeleteI particularly appreciate your question, "What are her reasons for smiling and laughing?" It's actually her main character flaw that she is a bit cruel -- she takes pleasure at the misfortune of others. The arc, then is for her to become more empathetic. So, I think I can do a lot with putting more in about why she is smiling/laughing at a particular moment and how that changes over the course of the novel.
I do this all the time. I hit on a word I like and my mind just throws out repetitions or slight variations as I write. I often miss it in the edit, too. It drives me mad. In the end I coded a tool to address the problem. I finally got round to cleaning it up and making it public a couple of years ago - https://www.clustercatcher.com/ if it's of any use.
ReplyDeleteNice, thanks! I bet that will help a lot of folks.
DeleteIt's easy to do. Some words and phrases just sound right to our ears, and we can't help but use them.
Great advice. I also think it's important to be patient when it comes to identifying and tweaking these repeated terms. It can become overwhelming if a writer starts and random and doesn't organize or pace themselves. One might not know where (or how) to stop, once they get started... Once they start seeing problems, they can't unsee them.
ReplyDeleteFor me, whenever reviewing a passage or chapter, I keep two or three separate lists of "pet" words: repeated words or terms; words that may not align with a character's persona; linguistic anachronisms (depending on the story). And I don't jump into modifying them right away. I wait until I've fully transitioned to editing. The list(s) may be long, but patience and an even temper will get my story where it needs to be.
Thanks! So very true, and that fits any type of revision. I recommend revising in chunks, and my favorite is three chapters, then later, once act at a time.
DeleteGreat list! I keep a character voice list myself, just so I can keep track of specific words they use.