Handling Repetition in Your Novel

Repetition is something to watch out for in our writing. One lesson learned early on was, “Don’t tell readers something they already know.” As writers, we often want to make sure our readers understand a point we’re making, and we repeat it. But when is it too much? We don’t want to sound like a recording on replay. What’s the best way to handle it?

An extreme example of repetition: In one of my first critique groups, one author’s character was an activist, giving speeches all over the countr...