TheWritersBag.com

In school, my English teachers taught me to avoid repetition when writing. As a professional writer I soon learned that this was not always sound advice. Yes, repetition can bog down a written piece. But it can also be a powerful writing tool if used intelligently.

For example, Martin Luther King Jr. used repetition masterfully in his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In the follow excerpt from the speech, he uses the word “dream” 11 times, and the phrase “I have a dream” eight times.

“And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

King could have replaced “I have a dream” with such phrases as “I foster a hope,” “I harbor a wish,” “wouldn’t it be nice,” “I think it would be awesome if” and so on, but saying “I have a dream” over and over again added punch to the speech and made it more memorable. Repetition drove the concept home.

Listen for repetition when you hear speeches or read written pieces – especially political and religious ones. You will hear it employed frequently.

This is not to say that repetition is always a good idea. Much of the time it is not. The following is an example of the bad sort of repetition:

“This morning I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Then I went to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. Then I went to the office to write a blog post. Then I went out for a walk. Then I went to the post office to mail a letter. Then I went to the store for some groceries. Then I went to …”

You get the point. While repetition can be powerful, it is sometimes merely lazy – the literary equivalent of pouring a bucket of water on a campfire.

Pay attention to your writing. Be aware when you are being repetitious. Decide whether the repetition helps or hurts the piece. Make changes if necessary.

Finally, remember this: Most writing will not be hurt by a moderate amount of repetition. Some writers refuse to use the same word twice in the same paragraph or three times in the same piece (excluding the many common words such as “and,” “the,” and “a,” of course). This only drives an iron rod up the backbone of their writing and makes them crazy. Don’t do it. There are more enjoyable ways to drive yourself crazy.

PS. Take your writing to the next level. Buy and use the e-manuals found here. They’re filled with important tips and strategies designed to make you a powerful writer.

1. Be consistent with your purpose.

Accomplishing your purpose – the reason you are writing your e-mail – is your #1 task. Try to do it clearly and concisely.

2. Be consistent with your organization’s image.

If you’re working for a bank, don’t sound like a loan shark. At the very least, you’ll offend people. If you’re a loan shark, don’t sound like a bank officer. No one will pay attention.

3. Be concise but not “short.”

There is a fine line between writing short and being short. It’s easy to make people think you’re mad at them when writing quick, short e-mails. If necessary, add a few words to strike a congenial note.

4. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want to have posted on a bulletin board.

Remember, e-mails are not private. Don’t get yourself in trouble. Any e-mail you send can be distributed widely with a few keystrokes.

5. It’s not about how you mean it – it’s about how a specific reader will take it.

Know your audience and write accordingly. How will the particular reader perceive the tone of your message?

6. When in doubt, read it out loud.

Your ear can catch subtleties your eye might miss.

Which of the following two statements is more readable?

1. Mayor Bills said it was too late to put a halt to the downtown renovation project, even though the majority of the city’s citizens have expressed their desire to leave the downtown the way it is. He explained that the plans have been completed, the funds have been allocated and the contracts have been signed. For these reasons, he believes the city must push ahead with the project.
2. “There’s absolutely no way we can stop the downtown renovation project now,” said Mayor Bills. “I know most people here want to keep things the way they are, but we’re too far down the road with the project to turn back. The plans are finished. The money’s been set aside and we’ve signed all the contracts. We have no choice. We have to push ahead!”

If you think the second paragraph is easier to read and more interesting than the first, you’re in good company. But why? The same basic messages were conveyed in both.

The difference is the quote.

Quotes liven things up – especially when you’re writing a report, press release or other project that requires a formal writing style. By letting others say it for you in quotes, you can break away from the stiff style the format demands without getting your hands slapped.

Also, it’s often easier to convey information and especially feelings with quotes than with straight writing.

One word of caution: Be very careful not to misrepresent people by “doctoring” their quotes. At the same time, it is very common to clean up quoted statements for the written page. People typically ramble around, stumble and take dead ends when they talk. Keep the meaning, but don’t repeat those meanderings verbatim. The following quote would embarrass the source and bog down your written piece:

“Well, I think … ah … there’s really … absolutely no way – no way at all – to … umm … stop the downtown renovation project now, you know,” said Mayor Bills. “I mean, I know most people here want to … well … want to sort of keep things the way they are, you know …”

You get the point. Use quotes, but use them intelligently. Clean them up when appropriate, but never change the intended meaning.