Yes Word Abuse!
This isn't really the abuse of a word but the abuse of my eyes when I see it over and over and over. Worse, seeing it twice in the same sentence. Some more savvy writers might call this redundancy but I call it criminal!
"Her body was like a magnet, drawing him closer with every movement of her body."
The second "body" really isn't even needed but if you feel the need to expound here then use another word or phrase to say the same thing. You're a writer, goddamnit!
"Her body was like a magnet, drawing him closer with every movement of her sensual form."
or "...every sensual movement" since we've already established it was her body that had his attention.
When you read back over your work (you do read back over your work, right?) look for redundancy or word abuse. I don't like to use the same subject or descriptive word more than once in a string of two or three sentences if I don't have to.
Sure there are exceptions to everything but readers are way smarter than we want to credit them with sometimes. Maybe they can write as well or better than you and maybe they can't but they sure as shit will notice things like this. Even if it's only on a subconscious level. They will decide that they don't like your style and put the book down and never pick you up again. Death.
How do you prevent this?
Read what your wrote and, yes you've heard it and heard it, but read it aloud until you can train your inner editor to speak during the drafting process. Feel stupid doing this? Me too. Find a place where you can be alone. Drive to Walmart and do it in the car. I'm sure there are crazier people in that parking lot than you and, if not, just go inside when you're done. You won't feel so bad. If it doesn't sound right to you vocalized, read it again. If it still sounds weird, there's your first clue.
Also, don't reread what you wrote for a few days, or even a couple weeks if you can help it (yes I realize there are deadlines but that deadline don't mean squat if you're turning in junk). Reading your work when it's still fresh in your mind will cause your brain to screw you over. You know what you were trying to say so you will read it that way because you remember writing the right way dammit and no one's gonna tell you how to write in your own damn brain! That's the problem really. A week or two later, it won't be so fresh and you're find far more typos and problems than you would have ever thought were there.
Listening to: Heart - Sylvan Song - Dream of the Archer
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