Writing Habits

It is a common problem for writers to develop repetitive habits in their writing style. It could be a habit of using a certain word or turn of phrase frequently. It could be a habit of starting sentences a certain way, such as with an adverb (Suddenly, she turned). It could be a sentence structure habit such as fragmenting (Because he wanted to.) or reverse ordering (On the table is the book). Whatever the habit, it becomes annoying to readers because it becomes repetitive. It will begin to stick out and announce itself to readers, even though you may be oblivious to it. After awhile, it will turn readers off completely. Developing an ear for your own repetitive habits is something you can cultivate. It requires really listening to your writing when you read it back to yourself. When you come across an expression you know you've heard before or use frequently in your speech, scan your text for repetitive use of it. Pay attention to how you structure your sentences. Do you have a good variety of the four basic types of sentences: simple, complex, compound and complex-compound? Do you repetitively fragment or reverse order or do you use these techniques judiciously for special effect? Read your work out loud and you will be able to hear your patterns and habits more clearly. Ask someone else to read your work and point out any annoying habits in your writing. Getting a handle on these habits will not only improve your writing skill, it will also improve your reader approval.