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In last week's issue of Writer's Connect (Issue 77), we took a look at the art of making a smarmy antagonist eat their own words at a pivotal moment. Aside from the sheer satisfaction of an unlikeable character getting what's coming to them, there's another element at play here that really makes the moment shine.
In literature, repetition is a device where a word or phrase is deliberately used more than once in order to emphasise, clarify, or otherwise make the repeated content memorable.
Simple as it sounds, there is a bit of a knack to doing it right—and that's what we're here for! Follow these three rules, and you'll have your readers thinking about the high notes of your work for years to come.
"So I was thinking I'd string up some wires, then line up a bunch of umbrellas on top of 'em. Thoughts?"
This post brought to you by guest blogger Tyrone Couch.
Less distance, more visibility
In other words, the closer together your repetition of a word or phrase is from its last usage, the more it's going to stand out. Note that this isn't always a good thing! Just like with people, it's entirely possible for the device to stand out for all the wrong reasons.
So, what's the right ratio here?
Obviously, for your use of repetition to serve its purpose, the reader has to notice it. Almost any word you use in a sentence more than once, particularly if it's an uncommon one, shouldn't have too much difficulty getting noticed. For example:
I suggest you stop making suggestions before I start making some suggestions of my own!
Having said that, your chosen word doesn't have to be one you don't often see in quick succession for it to stand out. Far from it, even the most common words can steal the show:
"You didn't listen. You insisted [you] knew better. You got [yourself] into this mess ... and now you can get [yourself] out of it."
Okay ... so what if you want to spread your repetition(s) across more than just one sentence?
The line you have to walk here is between 'trusting your audience to notice it' and 'shoving it down their throat'. Too close to one side and they might miss it; too close to the other and it'll be so painfully obvious that they'll put the work down and read something else instead.
The further away your instances of repetition are from one another, the more 'anchors' they need to be remembered. These 'anchors' can be memorable moments that surround the repetition, e.g., the beginning and end of a chapter, a callback to a particularly impactful moment or events that are similar/related to the last time the word or phrase was used.
Experiment with different distances between the first usage and the repetition and different types of anchors. If you have someone who looks over your work for you, ask them if they picked up on it & for any feedback.
Sound matters
The ultimate goal of repetition is to make something more notable ... but you can't rely on repetition alone.
When a word or phrase is repeated, there is automatically a sort of rhythm that comes into play between each use of the word. This is more true of repetitions in close proximity to each other, but can still be said to apply in a broader sense over greater distances.
An example of this rhythm being leveraged can be found in the saying a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Though a word can't be considered to rhyme with itself, because the sound is the same when revisited, it serves as a similar reference point in rhythm to rhyme. The word/sound repeated here is 'friend', and the additional rhyme of 'need' and 'indeed' highlights the inherent rhythm created by the repetition.
To further demonstrate, imagine that the subject in place of 'friend' wasn't the same, or otherwise didn't rhyme:
A sociopath in need is a bad parent indeed
The repeated sound (i.e., rhyme) of 'need' and 'indeed' is preserved, but the rhythm of the saying as a whole is thrown completely out of whack. Suffice to say that this saying, while equally poignant, is much less likely to become a household name!
As a rule, the more rhythmically novel that a phrase is, the more likely it is to be remembered. This is not to say that your repetition absolutely must rhyme—simply that if you're conscious of the interplay between the repeated sound as much as the repeated word, you may be able to use the mnemonic qualities of rhythm to your advantage.
Serve a purpose
Though the pure, self-congratulatory pleasure of, "Hey! I remember that being said before!" is nothing to be sneezed at, there ought to be more satisfaction for the reader in picking up on it than just that.
Perhaps the most important factor in whether or not your use of repetition makes its mark is the reason you're doing it in the first place. What is it that you're trying to draw attention to beyond the words themselves? What's the significance of it being said again now, and how does it relate to the moment it was said previously?
Some examples of purposes for which you might deploy repetition include:
A character revealing themselves to be the killer in a murder mystery by repeating a phrase only the killer would know
A son repeating soothing words his father gave him in his childhood to the father on his deathbed
A victim of abuse becoming an abuser themselves and repeating words that had once been used against them
The possibilities are truly endless!
Say something once, why say it again?
Repetition is my personal favourite literary device. The unbridled power of words is never more apparent than when the simple act of saying them again can evoke such a different, infinitely more compelling response.
For more fortnightly tips, make sure to subscribe to Writer's Connect (at the bottom of the page).
Word of the Day
auspicious (adj.) ô-spÄsh′əs
Something that is auspicious is a good omen, signifying that great things are to come. It suggests there will be success and good fortune in the future of the endeavour it relates to.
With hundreds of customers on opening day, the new business was off to an auspicious start. The king's inauguration was an auspicious occasion, giving the people hope for future generations.
Quotidian Quote
"To gain your own voice, you have to forget about it being heard." ~ Allen Ginsberg
Get Competitive!
A selection of current writing competitions YOU can enter!
Sleek City Press Quarterly Contest
Format: Open Theme: A happier life Word Count: max. 1,000 Entry Fee: $9 Prize: £1,000 Closes: 18/03/2023
Look over the fine print to make sure that your submission qualifies and you're happy with the terms of engagement.
The Australian Society of Authors has a highly informative post on their website called 'What to look for in a writing competition's T&Cs' . To locate the article, click on 'Home', then 'News'.
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