Inspired solely on the act of decluttering a home, we’re talking about a part of editing some people dread: downsizing the finished product.
There is a such thing as writing too much. Spending an excessive amount of your time world-building all at once, having long conversations between characters to reveal information, or describing your characters in great physical detail and not focusing on the plot. These are examples! There can be all kinds of details you may be able to omit!
If you find yourself growing insecure or anxious about your ability to write effectively for an audience, you may want to begin the downsizing process.
Those moments too large (or too long)…revisit them. Break it down and see what can be taken out. What’s important to your writing is showing your reader what’s going on around your character or how your character(s) perceive the world – not telling your reader. They won’t feel it.
Small details may be important to hold onto so save them in a note on the side. They might be able to be woven into the narrative in a flowing manner.
Try to set a time frame in which you’ll work on this form of editing. And if you have to – do it more than once. You’ll realize how a whole paragraph may only needed to be one sentence.