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?

4 comments:

Catherine Bybee said...

This is where a good CP or editor comes in. It's so easy to have a moaning character and not realize that they are starting to sound like a sound track. lol

Helen Hardt said...

God, yes! Even in my edited and published work, I'll go back and read something and say "I can't believe I did that!" Lol. We are always learning. Self-education never stops in this craft :).

Cari Quinn said...

Yes, but yet I keep making some of the same mistakes, LOL. I have certain words I love - in Ex Appeal, I used "even" way too many times. It's definitely a continual process!

Shawna Thomas said...

Catherine, a good CP is worth his or her weight in gold. Seriously.

Helen, I am so glad we keep learning... after reading some of my earlier MS, really, really glad.

Cari, it is a continual process. My characters tend to swallow a lot in the first draft... I know that sounds strange, but if I'm nervous, I swallow. LOL