# Anaphora: Definition and Fiction Example | NovelOS Studio

> Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines. See an original fiction example, why writers use...

## Anaphora in a story

The repeated opening creates momentum and makes differences in the following language more prominent.

## Original fiction example

> We waited for the verdict. We waited for the gates. We waited until waiting became obedience.

This example is original to the NovelOS glossary. It illustrates the term without borrowing a passage from a published novel.

## Why writers use it

Use anaphora for emphasis, escalation, ritual, persuasion, and emotional accumulation.

**A useful revision question:** Where does this device change what the reader understands, expects, or feels? If removing it leaves the passage unchanged, it may need a clearer function.

## A common mistake

Frequent use can make ordinary narration sound like a speech.

## Use anaphora in NovelOS Studio

Refine clarity, rhythm, tone, repetition, and deliberate prose while preserving your voice. [The Alchemist](/features/the-alchemist/) sits inside the same NovelOS Studio project as your characters, world, timeline, manuscript, goals, tracker, revision tools, and publishing exports.

Record the idea where it affects the book, test it in scenes, and revise it beside the surrounding prose. NovelOS Studio keeps the craft decision attached to the novel instead of leaving it in a separate worksheet.

Category

Prose and Style

Related terms

* [Epistrophe](/glossary/epistrophe/)
* [Repetition](/glossary/repetition/)
* [Parallelism](/glossary/parallelism/)

[Browse the full glossary](/glossary/)