We can t resist cramming in a little more from the notebook to show our readers what we ve learned. But readers don t care what we went through to get it, and don t have time to indulge our fancy. There are kids to get off to school and day care, jobs with deadlines waiting. They want to learn, and fast. Start by recognizing that writing is a process with distinct parts.
Overburdened sentences originate in a lack of focus and organization.
A little thought ahead of time creating a road map that gives you an idea where your story s headed can cull the worst of it. This act has no rules. But you aren t done. You have to revise, becoming a tyrant with your words. Sentences and paragraphs shrink.