Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Ruth Wuwong

And-linked Phrases and 

Repetitive Words in Fiction: 

A Guest Post by Ruth Wuwong

It’s hard to believe that after publishing nine fiction books and being named a 2025 Featured Author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library, I still struggle with the problematic habit of overusing “and”-linked phrases and repeating words.

My editor has repeatedly pointed out issues with my problematic habit.

• Slow down the pacing: The narrative feels sluggish due to too many and-linked phrases and repetitive words (e.g., “but”, “could”, “know”, “feel”, “think”).
• Weaken the writing: Unnecessary repetition makes the prose less powerful.
• Distract the readers: Redundancies often disrupt immersion, making readers notice the writing itself rather than the story.

Consider the following example: “She was tired, exhausted, and weary.” All three words convey nearly the same idea. The redundancy makes the narrative awkward.

Why do writers fall into this trap? Personally, I use redundant phrases when I want to heighten the

emotional impact. Others might do it to imitate the patterns of spoken language. Whatever the reason, it’s a habit that can be difficult to break.

Here are a few strategies to help eliminate redundancy:

1. Choose the strongest word. For example: “She was exhausted.”
2. Use specific details. Instead of telling, show what tiredness looks like. For example: “She slumped in her chair.”
3. Vary sentence structures: Use different sentence structures to replace “and” lists with imagery or action.
4. Use intentional repetition. Sometimes repetition is effective, but it should be purposeful, not just wordy. For example: “She was tired. So very tired.”
5. Read aloud. Reading the work aloud helps catch problems with awkward repetition or rhythm.
6. Identify words we frequently repeat and remove unnecessary occurrences from each chapter.

As a writer, we never stop learning. Every author rewrites, refines, and relearns with each project. Be patient. The quest for clearer, more powerful prose is proof that we care about our readers—and about our art.

About Thunders over Idle Land :

Experience adventure and romance in distant lands, a mesmerizing tale by Whong, named a 2025 Featured Author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library.

Two eras, one troubled land, two men bound by parallel existences across centuries. Book 2 in this dual-time odyssey series showcases the enduring resilience of the human spirit. Jason Guan, an assistant director dedicated to environmental conservation in pandemic-stricken Hong Kong, is worried about job-related pressures and petty quarrels threatening his marriage to Debra. Amidst the chaos, they discover an unpublished manuscript by Debra’s late father, a celebrated writer, about a wronged man in nineteenth-century China. While Jason grapples with corruption and lax regulations in wetland preservation, he is thrust into dangerous waters.

In 1834, systemic corruption cripples China and ruins lives. Two weeks before Wang Jun is to marry his beloved fiancée, he is thrown into a maximum-security prison on a remote island without a trial. His only ally? A kung fu master and medical doctor imprisoned because of a riddle linked to the buried treasure of the pirate chief, Cheng Po-Tsai. When greed and exploitation overshadow justice, these men must navigate their respective perils. With a suspenseful connection between the past and present, how do they fight against the insurmountable tides?

Author bio:

Dr. Ruth Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books under R. F. Whong. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city. She currently runs a small biotech company (http://www.vidasym.com) and has raised more than twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym. In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (http://www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.

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