A quick reminder if you’re following along or just catching up. This 10-part series on making every word count details my ten favorite, easy self-editing methods to tighten and strengthen writing.
This list isn’t all-inclusive, of course. And it’s not in any particular order, just the random order they came to mind.
But if there was an order, tautologies would be near the top of my pet peeves list.
What is a tautology?
Besides a fun word to say, a tautology is a needless repetition of words, ideas, or concepts. A tautology is doubly redundant (see what I did there?).
In writing, there are a common handful of these that show up frequently. Tautologies are one of those things that once you see them, they’re everywhere. They become easy to spot.
Body part actions
Let’s just dive into some of the most common (and most irritating) examples: body actions.
His heart pounded in his chest. (Where else would it pound if not in his chest?)
She winked her eye. (What else can she w…
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