Why Duplicate Ideas Will Improve Your Article

Don’t “kill your darlings.” Save them for later.

Photo by Josh Riemer on Unsplash

When I write, sometimes I catch an illness I call “Thesaurus Brain.”

I may have to step away from writing the first draft of an article, then finish a day a two (or five) later. When I return, an idea jumps from my head, through the keyboard, and onto the screen. Great. Just like any other writer. But then I’ll discover I’ve already described the same idea earlier in the article, using different words or phrases.

Main Causes

I suspect this unintentional duplication happens for two reasons:

• I try to get my first draft onto the screen before editing. If I don’t finish that day, I pick up where I left off without reading my previous text. Only when I go back to edit, do I see what I’ve done.
• To a lesser degree, I may also subconsciously want to use the best words to get my point across. A new day brings a fresh perspective and a unique combination of words to the same idea.

Then again, maybe I’m just forgetful. My 50-something brain isn’t what it used to be at 17.

Either way, perhaps you’ve been in this exact situation. You have two paragraphs describing the same idea. Not a problem. Just erase one, but —…