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Do you ever notice an author using a word over and over again? (alien.top)

submitted 11 months ago by PastaConsumer@alien.top to c/books@metacritics.zone

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I’m currently reading The Duke and I and the author is constantly using the word “acerbic”. I had never heard of the word before now and had to google the definition. The word has shown up so much that I’m tempted to go through the book and count its appearances lol.

Have you noticed any authors having favorite words that they use page after page?

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[–] NonSequiturSage@alien.top 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I bought a digital copy of sci-fi novel by established author. Noticed that a certain medium length word was substituted by a longer unrelated word throughout the book. The correct word, identified by context was "understand". Anyone familiar with word processors knows how to do this deliberately, and guess how it might happen inadvertently. Thought this mildly amusing/annoying. A excellent example of when to not be upset at another's blunder. My fifth grade paper on Abraham Lincoln was not turned in spelled "Lincon" because my dear mother gave my paper a quick read.

A professional editor can help a professional author in ways AI and spell checkers can't.

[–] TempestRime@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

Unfortunately fewer and fewer authors actually seem to hire professional editors nowadays. I assume it's hard for most authors who aren't already incredibly big names to afford one, but it has had a noticeable effect on modern novels overall.