COULD YOU (not) REPEAT THAT PLEASE?

I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms were akimbo, legs were akimbo. Akimbo appeared on every page.

      Okay every page is a slight exaggeration, but akimbo was in every chapter more than once. I started thinking of the hero in the book as Adam West's posturing Batman persona.

      Every writer is guilty of the akimbo type of repetitiveness once in awhile. Most of the time we're not even aware that we're echoing ourselves.

      How do these unconscious akimbo dittos creep into our work? The English language is so rich with descriptors, why would we rob our manuscripts of the warmth and color that this richness brings to our work? Simply put -- we're lazy.

      When the afore mentioned writer was feverishly scribbling away on her book, she arrived at a moment when her character took a stance, and the first word that popped into her head was akimbo. Writing akimbo was easier than it would be to stop the flow of her writing and come up with a different way of saying akimbo. The only problem is instead of going back to edit out ninety percent of the akimbos, she left them in and it became a distraction to the reader (and humorous to me, which I'm sure wasn't her intention).

      Don't let yourself get lazy. Go through your work and get rid of repetitive words. Especially if they're words like akimbo that are not used in everyday conversation.

      If you need help, go to the Georgetown Linguistics website and use their frequency index tool (see the web address below). Copy your text into the box provided and click on the "Do it!" button. This website will give you a list of every word and how many times it was used in your manuscript.

      I would suggest (and this is just my opinion) that if you discover that you've used akimbo more than twenty-nine times, get rid of all but one of them.

      By the way akimbo appears 13 times in this passage. Annoying wasn't it!

Georgetown Linguistics Website:
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ballc/webtools/web_freqs.html

Stacy Verdick Case wrote her first "book" when she was in second grade and hasn't quit writing yet. She's had numerous article and short stories published and has a couple manuscripts making the rounds. Her current manuscript, A Grand Murder, is receiving rave reviews, and took third in the Daphne du Maurier contest in the Unpublished Mainstream Mystery category. Visit Stacy on the web at www.StacyVerdickCase.com.

MORE RESOURCES:

Filmmaker Michael Moore writing at the DailyBeast.com: - Wall Street Journal

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Nevada doctor banned from writing prescriptions - San Jose Mercury News

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Writing a Prescription for Safety: B. Braun CAPS(R) Announces New ... - MarketWatch

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nSight Offers Complimentary Technical Documentation Review to Show ... - MarketWatch

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North Korea Nuclear Verification Must Be in Writing, Japan Says - Bloomberg

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4i-0fd=Rurl=http://news.stv.tv/world/56175-us-says-verifying-north-korea-nuclear-claims-is-vital/cid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNFdOcUBbBj5lupxiE_VBhih_R8o4Qimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=Kb2HU2OkY-cJimgurl=news.stv.tv/assets/img/feedImg/56175-us-says-verifying-north-korea-nuclear-claims-is-vital-200.jpg width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2stv.tv/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601101%26sid%3DaoVXlPrGMbJM%26refer%3Djapancid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNFbznuMEDm5dJtCqjLEVc6DdzNcBQNorth Korea Nuclear Verification Must Be in bWriting/b, Japan Says/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBloombergnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1``Whether it be about sampling, the type of facilities, or programs, we agreed the verification process needs to be put in bwriting/b and agreed upon by the b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-12-02-voa39.cfmcid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNHDTVQzBv0tCcrkqJeFOYnOZDowwAUS, Japan: North Korea Must Commit to Nuke Verification in bWriting/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrVoice of America/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-2fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g6bEeGoPxwPaVE5cl67rsVW7wASQD94QIR280cid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNF4e6TZRClF2Kje8ppw5g_F1RVAWwUS wants NKorean nuke verification deal in bwriting/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-3fd=Rurl=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081204a2.htmlcid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNHRNfMLNxC7uy93_-hcUvb4X3bBNQNorth nuke verification must be in bwriting/b: Saiki/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Japan Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-4fd=Rurl=http://www.usnews.com/blogs/sam-dealey/2008/12/02/fixing-the-north-korea-nuclear-error.htmlcid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNFl3GgoaXVsxfvhGaERwYe4RlyMCAnobrU.S. News World Report/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-5fd=Rurl=http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2008/12/112560.htmcid=1276562146ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNGC4qy0N3fOkO2VBUMkcjQpLa4X_QnobrUS Department of State/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276562146hl=ennobrall 394 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Student, 12, to present writing success at Voyager - Livingston Daily

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Spitzer now writing for Slate - 7Online.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4B28CI20081203cid=1277293255ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNHkOLSS9Djrxt_4WRvOtJ6XyjGV9Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=a6Ke7e_u13IJimgurl=www.reuters.com/resources/r/%3Fm%3D02%26d%3D20081203%26t%3D2%26i%3D7069487%26w%3D192%26r%3D2008-12-03T232415Z_01_BTRE4B21T1V00_RTROPTP_0_NEWYORK-SPITZER width=80 height=57 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Reuters/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story%3Fsection%3Dnews/local%26id%3D6537543cid=1277293255ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNEIX7t5UQcm96c-ArlRtoGa5ntcFgSpitzer now bwriting/b for Slate/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6f7Online.com,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1NEW YORK (WABC) -- Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer is back in the media, this time as a member of the Fourth Estate. The online magazine Slate on Wednesday b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://www.observer.com/mobile/article/79745cid=1277293255ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNFpXax0F_f9BOQIP8qSMHHcD8X1GAMeet Slate#39;s New Columnist: Eliot Spitzer/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNew York Observer/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277293255hl=ennobrall 18 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Writing test scores get better - Macon Telegraph

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.macon.com/198/story/544395.htmlcid=1277028073ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNF5_k1LHXJ4oUhk37LwVvfT14eqiwbWriting/b test scores get better/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMacon Telegraph,nbsp;GAnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Julie Hubbard - jhubbard@macon.com Middle Georgia high school students are bwriting/b a lot more in class, and test scores show that itâ€™s paying off. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Vedera continues writing and touring before its album, â€˜Stages ... - Kansas City Star

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/story/918767.htmlcid=0ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNECXZyvbPkqTFkwiNM-4jGTF4R0agVedera continues bwriting/b and touring before its album, â€˜Stages b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKansas City Star,nbsp;MOnbsp;-/font nobr4 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1â€œWorking with other songwriters showed us new ways to think about bwriting/b melodies,â€ she said. â€œItâ€™s easy to get stuck in two or three ways of bwriting/b and b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Obama campaign manager to write book - The Associated Press

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUnvLvk21kV6hDvFDq8nRW8jwuUAD94RIU400cid=1277276142ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNH-PbpY4hkbxdV0y2hYCpETrYJYawimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=3sMQ5kaxgTMJimgurl=www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5h8SGvktsLlxLUN1lHT8ZrDjeWTJw width=80 height=56 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Associated Press/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUnvLvk21kV6hDvFDq8nRW8jwuUAD94RIU400cid=1277276142ei=IVs3Sfv2FIu-9gSKmIyeDwusg=AFQjCNH-PbpY4hkbxdV0y2hYCpETrYJYawObama campaign manager to write book/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Associated Pressnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1NEW YORK (AP) â€” Barack Obama#39;s campaign manager, David Plouffe, is bwriting/b a book about the historic election victory and has retained Washington attorney b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Writing - Google News

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