Has anyone succumbed the heideousness of word count checks?

I'n my work I use a lot of words that simply do not have acceptable alternatives and so I find myself using the same word over and over. I've used the word 'world' 68 times so far! Does anyone else have this problem?

I'm not really trying for the literary style of using every word in the dictionary as I find this kind of writing often serves only to distance the reader in a sense. I'm going for character, and real people tell there stories with a much more limited vocabulary then most authors tend to use.

Has anyone else 'succumbed' to this problem and what are people's general thoughts?

Geoff

Geoff,

Where did you get that word 'heidousness'? I don't know what it means so I cannot know what your question is.

I do know what you mean when one finds that the same word rears its unwelcome head time and again when one is writing... or it seems like that to the writer.

If you feel that repetition is affecting the reading of your work then you must change it or re-write to avoid this. It all depends upon the effect you wish to create.

Len

<Added>

I can't even spell that word correctly!

The word count check is scary isn't it but so useful. All my characters seem to suddenly find themselves somewhere and sighing and crying for Europe!!! I get a lot of use out of my thesaurus and often have to re-write whole paragraphs to avoid repetition! Maybe I just need more imagination!?
Sue

Hi Len,

It was a case of the wonky finger syndrome again, that should have been hideousness! And yes paralysis should have two s's.

Sometimes I repeat the same word for effect but I think in most cases it's the fact that I've written it and spent some time going over the same text that these things stand out so much.

I just wondered what everyone else thought.

Geoff

Hi Sue,

I know what you mean. The repetition tihng can be tricky but in Feeling Gravity's Pull I've tried to use it as the main character dwells on certain things in his life, just as most depressed people do. What I have tried to do though is nest that repetition so it's layered so every time you come across a repetition it sheds a little more light on the subject.

Short repeats are also quite useful for really driving sometihng home to the reader or offering multiple perspectives on the same point.

Geoff

I definitely have the problem of using the word definitely too much in my writing. It's a definite problem.

Ste

But at least you can spell it!!!

That was the funny thing. Until recently, I always used to spell it wrong

Ste

Hey was that a dig at my wonky finger syndrome! It's a very serious medical thing don't you know!

It is.

Honest

I wouldn't lie about something like this



Geoff

Actually Geoff - no it wasn't but as soon as I pressed post I realised that was exactly what it looked like!!! My spelling is actually OK but I type too quickly trying to get the words out of my head and often end up with a page full of nonsense. Still it's easier to decipher than my writing!! I write on the train as well so sometimes get home to type up my fantastic words only to be faced with pages full of squashed spiders.