Natasha Ewendt's Blog - Posts Tagged "michelle-styles"
Author Showcase guest post – Michelle Styles: Repetition and the author
This is the latest in a series of Author Showcase guest posts. The posts are by authors from around the world, sharing their tips for writers and readers, discussing their books and careers, and generally sharing any nuggets of wisdom and useful information they may have.
Today’s post is by UK Harlequin Historical romance author Michelle Styles.
Repetition, repetition
I am going to put my hand up here and say that my biggest problem, bar none, is repetition. You would think after more than 23 published books, I would be able to spot it and deal with it, but no. My repetition tiara is firmly glued to my head...unfortunately.
There are many types of repetition. The first and obvious one is repeated words or phrases, particularly in the same sentence or paragraph. You do need to keep an eagle eye out for small words that may have different meaning. All her shopping lay scattered on the ground. She kicked a packet of ground beef.
The second sort of repetition is harder to spot. It is the repetition of the effect. It is multiple telling of the same piece of information, perhaps in slightly different ways. For example, showing that character has an outlandish dress sense by detailing everything he is wearing – from the multi- coloured bow tie which spins to the bright pink clown boots to the shorts in the winter and finally the pair of antlers stuck on his head. One detail would have been enough. Repeated detail to achieve the same effect actually deadens the effect, rather than enhancing it. Self Editing for Fiction Writer by Browne and King has an excellent formula to explain it – 1+1 = ½
Repeated information can seem condescending and totally kills the tension as the reader start to skip. Another common error of mine in early drafts is to have conversations which repeat or go around in circles. Or they are having the same argument several pages on.
Or the author can have several characters who are essentially playing the same role. Because the part is being divided, the effect can be muted at best and confusing at worst. Who exactly is the villain? How many confidents does the heroine need? How many brothers?
So why do it?
Some of it is confidence. The author has underestimated her own writing ability. It is not that she wants to be condescending towards the reader, but merely that she doesn’t trust her writing to carry off the effect she wants. Some of it may be because she is in the moment and the words are flowing. Whatever the reason, the work will be stronger for taking it out. Trust me.
A first draft is not the time to worry about repetition. The time to worry about it is in subsequent drafts. Because it can be hard to spot, if you have the habit, like me, you have to be ruthless and really pay attention to when information is given and what sort of effect you want.
Based in Northumberland, Michelle has written more than 20 warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical in a wide range of time periods. Find out more on Michelle’s website www.michellestyles.co.uk or her blog at http://michellestyles.blogspot.co.uk/
Natasha Ewendt is the author of This Freshest Hell, a horror novel released in 2013 by Lacuna Publishing. She is also a journalist at the Port Lincoln Times and the director of Port Lincoln Copywriting Services.
Today’s post is by UK Harlequin Historical romance author Michelle Styles.
Repetition, repetition
I am going to put my hand up here and say that my biggest problem, bar none, is repetition. You would think after more than 23 published books, I would be able to spot it and deal with it, but no. My repetition tiara is firmly glued to my head...unfortunately.There are many types of repetition. The first and obvious one is repeated words or phrases, particularly in the same sentence or paragraph. You do need to keep an eagle eye out for small words that may have different meaning. All her shopping lay scattered on the ground. She kicked a packet of ground beef.
The second sort of repetition is harder to spot. It is the repetition of the effect. It is multiple telling of the same piece of information, perhaps in slightly different ways. For example, showing that character has an outlandish dress sense by detailing everything he is wearing – from the multi- coloured bow tie which spins to the bright pink clown boots to the shorts in the winter and finally the pair of antlers stuck on his head. One detail would have been enough. Repeated detail to achieve the same effect actually deadens the effect, rather than enhancing it. Self Editing for Fiction Writer by Browne and King has an excellent formula to explain it – 1+1 = ½
Repeated information can seem condescending and totally kills the tension as the reader start to skip. Another common error of mine in early drafts is to have conversations which repeat or go around in circles. Or they are having the same argument several pages on.
Or the author can have several characters who are essentially playing the same role. Because the part is being divided, the effect can be muted at best and confusing at worst. Who exactly is the villain? How many confidents does the heroine need? How many brothers?
So why do it?
Some of it is confidence. The author has underestimated her own writing ability. It is not that she wants to be condescending towards the reader, but merely that she doesn’t trust her writing to carry off the effect she wants. Some of it may be because she is in the moment and the words are flowing. Whatever the reason, the work will be stronger for taking it out. Trust me.
A first draft is not the time to worry about repetition. The time to worry about it is in subsequent drafts. Because it can be hard to spot, if you have the habit, like me, you have to be ruthless and really pay attention to when information is given and what sort of effect you want.
Based in Northumberland, Michelle has written more than 20 warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical in a wide range of time periods. Find out more on Michelle’s website www.michellestyles.co.uk or her blog at http://michellestyles.blogspot.co.uk/
Natasha Ewendt is the author of This Freshest Hell, a horror novel released in 2013 by Lacuna Publishing. She is also a journalist at the Port Lincoln Times and the director of Port Lincoln Copywriting Services.
