Random Thought/Question

~ Allison Nicole

As I have been reading a lot of poetry and writing quite a bit myself these past few months, I have noticed something about not only my work, but most others’ as well.
We become attached to certain words.
If you read through most of my posts, you will see a theme of several words in my work. Some of the words I have noticed that I tend to use more frequently in my writing are drowning, fire, and storms. I don’t know why.
And I’m not the only one who does this.
I have noticed most bloggers that I read fairly often doing this. Whether it is with an idea or concept of something, an adjective they include more than others, or just a word of some sort that is somehow snuck into each post.
Have you noticed yourself using a word over and over again with your writing, like a word is etched into your mind and your trying to sand it out?
Why do you think we do this?

47 thoughts on “Random Thought/Question”

  1. Very true. I find myself doing this too and I think it stems from the fact that each of us relate to different words based on personal experiences, on a subconscious level. The difference in the words we use define our differences in personality I suppose? Just a passing theory 🙂

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    1. It’s possible! Just strange for me because of the words drowning and fire, I’ve never had an experience in life with drowning, nor has anything happened with fire. Lol I know there are other words I’ve been stuck on like “lost” and “confused” and those very well could have been due to experiences. It’s hard to tell why the mind does what it does. Thanks for your input!

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        1. Right, I said in a later comment that maybe the words don’t relate to my life literally, but my emotions reflect the meanings of those words. Like with drowning, not literally drowning, but drowning emotionally or like I’m overwhelmed or something. I don’t know, its difficult to explain.

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          1. Sorry I didn’t see that latter comment. I was commenting as I scrolled down.

            I would agree with your assessment. I think that is what makes writing poignant.

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  2. I have noticed this in my writing as well. I keep using the words dark, sun, bright. I even tend to write about the progress from the dark to the light. I guess this happens because our poems and works are a reflection of our thoughts. And our thoughts follow a particular pattern. So inevitably, we use certain words and adjectives over and over again. 🙂

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    1. I also use light quite a bit. And night or darkness. I agree that our poems are a reflection of our thoughts, so I just wonder if by using these words over and over again, we are trying to move on from one particular thought? Like we use it until we don’t need it anymore. Thanks for the comment!

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  5. I’ve picked up on this many times too, not just with my own personal writing experience but with others as well. It could be that because of past experiences or memories, we associate certain words with certain emotions etc. But what I have also picked up on is that once your perspective changes on a situation or emotion, so do the words you use. I rate it’s a part of growth. If one wants to consciously stop using these words, once you’ve written your piece – why not see what other words you can use instead of the current one? It’s rather a good way of learning and expanding your vocabulary too, I think. 🙂

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    1. I definitely have learned a lot of words by trying to avoid those that I use way too often. I think some words could be coming from past experiences, but not all. Because words that I get stuck on have no connection with my life. It’s strange. And I do change words, one week it’ll be storm that I’m stuck on, the next, fire, the next week I’m always writing about confusion. It probably does stem from personal growth. Maybe those words don’t relate to my life literally, but maybe my emotions reflect the meanings of those words. If that makes any sense haha. Thanks for the thought!

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  6. This is very true. I have words and phrases that feel good to me and I’m aware of most of them. I took a fiction publishing course a few years ago and the instructor was good at pointing out our go to’s. I find myself self editing a lot as to not repeat things over and over.

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    1. That’s a good way to put it, your go-to’s. I don’t repeat the same word in one poem, unless it’s to emphasize something. But I do in a series of works. I feel like people get tired of reading what I post because I have so many similar ideas strewn throughout my blog, haha. But it’s like I get stuck on a word or phrase and can’t get away from it.

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        1. I’m constantly editing, haha. I tend to catch a lot. I will even read my text books and notice unimportant repeated words that the writers get caught on. I have a problem of over analyzing, that’s for sure, lol.

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    2. Excellent point. Our perspectives change as we grow both with age and experience. This can drastically change our language and the definitions of the words we use.

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    1. Clouding us is a good way to put it. Two of your posts are actually what made me really think about this haha. You used “shimmery” in your post, “Roads These Days Untraveled is a Recipe for Mis-adventure” and “shimmer” in “Noise-talgia” lol. I know they aren’t really substantial words but I still caught it, and I’ve noticed it in my posts as well, a lot more than in yours. I think it has to do with what we’re thinking or feeling either consciously or subconsciously.

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      1. True true wow…I did not also notice it haha.
        Thats an interesting factor by the way.
        I will look at other people who write. Like really write from their heart

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  9. I noticed this in my writing too! I often use the words moon, stars and skies. and I thought it came from my hobby of staring at them whenever possible, I find them fascinating too and it might have reflected through my thoughts

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    1. That’s a good possibility as to why you may use those words! Are those the only ones you use frequently, or are there others that you can’t seem to find a reason as to why you may use them so often?

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  10. Most of the time I include the Sun or any other star directly or indirectly in my poems, I believe it’s the attachment with the persona we see in these objects, we humans have a habit of seeing things alive, which creates and emotional attachment with them. It may be a pencil, a car, a book, anything we can see and perceive. With our ways we personify them and hold on to them. Through poetry we always try to put them in scenarios to see the alive and rhythmic chain of events they create through their presence. That may be the reason for using similar words and patterns in different poems.

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    1. I hadn’t really thought about that, but I can buy your theory. I’m not sure about personification specifically, at least I don’t think I do that, but I do think that we can form a personal attachment with words.

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  11. I’ve read through all the comments and my sentiments are similar to most of the ideas expressed by other authors. We draw from our experiences and utilize language indicative of those experiences. I use a lot of symbolism in my writing and something to note is that authors can use words to represent different subjects and meanings. Definitions are not always so literal especially for authors that use a lot of metaphors and symbolism.

    Anne described a beautiful truth in that as we grow, both aging and through experience, our language changes as well as the definitions of the words we use. We gain new perspectives that shape us differently.

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    1. I use a lot of metaphors and I know that I don’t mean the words in them literally, however I don’t know why I tend to write those words more than others that have the same symbolic meaning.
      I just thought it was strange words for me to choose and I wondered why others chose the ones they did.
      And yes, I agree with what she said. I know that the words I use have shifted since I began writing poetry. The words I would use often then, I use rarely now.

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  12. Not only them though, i tend to to describe scenarios in my stories through earthly things (ie smiling sun, flowers bloom, and the likes) and I think it’s because we, humans, are innately rooted to these beautiful things that only nature can make and for me there’s no better way to express my deepest feelings and thoughts without comparing them with nature.

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    1. A lot of my common words/phrases relate to nature too.
      I read something about how using nature in poetry isn’t common or widely understood anymore because of how media and technology driven the world is today. But I agree with you. I think nature is one of those things that, as humans, we are always going to be connected to.

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