AutoCrit combs through your manuscript and compiles a list of the top 100 words you’ve written. The amount of difficult and uncommon words in your writing has a big impact on readability and flow.
Reviewing the type and frequency of your words allows you to reduce repetitions and ensure your writing is in sync with your target audience.
Do you really want to use the word rutabaga ten times in your novel. How about barista five times? Does your target audience even know what a barista is?
Asking these questions and looking at your choice words is critical to creating a novel that your readers will actually enjoy reading.
Related areas to look for in your manuscript
Check out the Repeated Words Analysis.
The Word Frequency Analysis gives you a big-picture perspective about how often you’re using the same words throughout your manuscript. But the Repeated Words Analysis drills down to the paragraph level to help you spot repetitions.
The exception to the rule
As with repeated phrases, sometimes you do need word repetition. Let your story and characters guide you. For example, if you were writing about a character with obsessive-compulsive disorder, showing repetition would be a crucial element of characterization.
The bottom line
Sure, sometimes repetition works. But most of the time, it’s better to err on the side of original and unique.