Repetition

The other day I was cleaning out a few drawers and I ran across the notebook I'd used when I edited First Date's galleys. The first time. In it, I wrote repeated words and the pages on which you could find them. Some of the pages are crossed out with the replacement words written above them. I thought I'd share this with you because, well, I found it interesting and as an example of how writers are always learning. Thank God. It also made me want to kiss Lori and TWRP for taking a chance on me in the first place.

Keep in mind, First Date is only 11K or so.

As: 20 times
Pull: 17 times
Throb: 10
Walls: 12 (3 on one page)
Felt: 10

Some other repeat words were moan, groan, brush and pussy with 5 to 8 uses each, but spaced too close together.

The good news is the galley for After Hours didn't have nearly as many repetitions. (Elle gasped a lot in the first couple of drafts)

Things like this are visible markers that I am learning my craft and, hopefully, improving every day.

Do you ever look back at books you've written and marvel at how much you've learned?