Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a story is to cut.
It’s most easily done during revisions. First, get your story on the page. Later, as you edit, look for parts to strike. Doing this can make your story stronger. It’s especially true if you’ve gone to lengths to make sure your readers understand. This is dangerous. You risk boring–and losing–your readers. Instead, Jerry Jenkins suggests resisting the urge to explain. Give your readers credit.
In his final book, A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway makes an important point about omissions:
Making your readers feel something more than they understand–now that’s a worthy goal.
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