There’s a point in writing where you stop telling the story…
…and start trying to make sure the reader understands it.
That’s where repetition creeps in.
Not the obvious kind.
Not the copy-and-paste kind.
The quieter version.
The kind that feels like emphasis.
When I go back through , especially the sections around Terra, my mom, my grandmother…
I can see it clearly now.
At the time, I couldn’t.
Because I meant every word.
When you’re writing about people you care about, you don’t want to get it wrong.
You don’t want the reader to miss:
– how important they are
– how much they shaped you
– how much weight they carry in your life
So you say it.
Then you show it.
Then you say it again… just to make sure.
It usually looks something like this:
You explain the relationship.
Then you give an example.
Then you step in and explain what the example meant.
Not because the reader needed it.
Because you didn’t trust that they got it.
That’s what I was doing.
Over and over.
Take Terra.
Her drive.
Her intensity.
Her impact on me.
There are moments in the book where that comes through clearly in action.
You can see it in how she pushes.
How she reacts.
How she processes the world.
Those are strong moments.
They work.
And then I step in…
…and explain it again.
Same with my grandmother.
Same with my mom.
Same with struggle.
Same with love.
None of it is wrong.
That’s the trap.
It’s all true.
It’s all honest.
It’s all coming from the right place.
But writing isn’t just about truth.
It’s about delivery.
And when you repeat the same emotional point multiple times, something subtle happens.
The impact softens.
The first time the reader feels it…
…it lands.
The second time…
they understand it.
The third time…
they start to drift.
Not because they don’t care.
Because they already got it.
This is one of the hardest things to learn as a writer.
Especially early on.
Because repetition feels like clarity.
It feels like reinforcement.
It feels like you’re doing your job.
But strong writing trusts the moment.
It lets the reader meet you there.
Once.
Clean.
If I were going back into those sections now, I wouldn’t remove the emotion.
I’d protect it.
By saying less.
Let the scene carry it.
Let the action show it.
Let the reader feel it without being told how to feel.
Because the truth is…
If the moment is real, you don’t need to repeat it.
And if you do need to repeat it…
The moment probably isn’t strong enough yet.
A Quick Invitation
If you’ve ever looked at your writing and thought:
“This feels heavy… but I don’t know why.”
There’s a good chance you’re circling the same emotional point more than once.
It happens to almost everyone.
Especially when the subject matters.
Through Blue Handle Publishing and Book Puma Author Services, this is one of the most common things we help writers uncover.
Not removing emotion.
Refining it.
Sharpening it.
Letting it land once… the way it’s supposed to.
If you’ve got a passage you’re not sure about, something that feels a little too full, a little too explained…
Send it.
There’s a good chance we can break it down in a future Inside the Sentence.