There’s a compliment we, as readers, assign to witty writers: “That author really knows how to turn a phrase.” We admire clever language, unusual word pairings. And we, as writers, work hard to turn those phrases just so, for isn’t that what good writing’s about? Don’t we want to impress our readers with how we say things, as much as what we say?
We writers also can develop an unconscious habit when it comes to turning phrases — we tend to be as impressed with certain phrases and pairings as our readers are, and then, because we like them so much, we use them. A lot. In the same piece of writing, even. And then the phrasing, no longer so clever, giggles out loud. If repeated once more, it’s suddenly as sharp as the clap of a rifle to readers. Again? Cannon fire.
I, too, have a few favorite phrasings and words that I use over-frequently. One of them is “marry/married,” which I like using with just about any connected words or concepts when I want to illustrate something “permanently joined,” or “committed.” Especially when conjoining abstracts. I choose this word and its conjugations often, because I believe it conveys additional connotations and nuances that other synonyms just can’t muster. I like it so much, though, that I might use it too often. I may not even realize I’ve “married” something to something within a few paragraphs following. Or in the next stanza. Or in three consecutive chapters. But I do know I have developed this habit of “marrying” a “plethora” of “stuff” in “myriad” ways . . . so I look for these promiscuous words when I self-edit.
Readers may think this sort of diction is laziness. I think it’s more a matter of becoming complacent with a satisfying vocabulary. This is a good combo, your mind says. Yes. But you said it already. And if it’s that good, readers will notice it. Each time. And then it stops working in your favor.
If you want to write your favorite words and phrases more than once, save them for another work. But not for too many works, please. If your readers like your writing, your poems, your stories, they are going to read all that they can get their eyes on. If they encounter the same, distinct phrasing regularly, they will start to assume you are a formulaic writer, without as much originality of thought as they’d prefer. Or that you are too lethargic to think up other adjectives or verbs.
I just finished reading a self-published novel, in which the author used the words “pouring into, over, on, in” an overwhelming 18 or so times. By themselves, these words might not have even come to my conscious attention (I want to stay immersed), if it hadn’t been a pet phrase for the author. I know it was a “pet” phrase, because “pouring” was never describing what you might expect it to be. It was modifying breath, or a look in the eyes, or an emotion. It was seldom used in conjunction with water or liquids.
I noted its first unusual use with interest. Its second, with a bit of a shrug. But after that, each subsequent appearance annoyed me more. There are a lot of verbs available for use in English, and a whole Thesaurus of synonyms.
So this is my caution and tip for today, dear writers: Beware of becoming too attached to certain words and phrases, whether slang, jargon, or simply what you think of as astute phrasing.
Be sure to reread your drafts with an eye open for your “favorite” wording. If you find a passage or group of words you really like, mark them, and then read through the rest of your manuscript looking for a repetition of them. If you find the same words, think seriously about substituting with synonyms, or about revising the phrasing altogether. If you make use of beta/test readers, ask them to look for unusual wording that you have used more than once, or for catchphrases that crop up repeatedly. Editors, too, specifically look for unconscious repetitions; they know that annoyed readers don’t like to shell out money for those kinds of repeat performances.