It’s December, and I’m again displaying a beloved Christmas card my younger sister sent me back in 1986. It features the opening lines from Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women:

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

And I noticed something odd: The word “Christmas” appears twice in the first sentence: “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents….” (The same thing happens in the third sentence, when Amy says “girls” twice.)

Wait a minute! Is it ok to repeat a word?

Yes.

Despite what you may have heard in an English class, it’s perfectly ok to repeat words. Good writers do it all the time. If the repetition works, go for it.

How do you know whether it’s working? Set aside what you’ve written for a while and then read it again. If it sounds good, you’re ok. Better yet, ask a friend or family member to read it. Don’t ask whether the repeated word is ok. Just ask for a general reaction.

I hope you’ll be getting lots of presents this year!