If you want your writing to sing, you must be willing to use that editorial pencil freely. You must cut and change without mercy — all without losing sight of your original vision. The most beautifully turned paragraphs and phrases, the pearls of wisdom that you've created in moments of inspired creativity, are of no use if they don't further the purposes of your story. Cut them. It hurts — I know. But cut them anyway.

(I don't say kill them. If they're really good, save them. Make a file folder of cut passages. Who knows — you might find a way to use them in another story. Just like your typos and other mistakes.)

Hard as it is to do this, your story will be better for it.

Cutting

Once you've answered all the above questions to your satisfaction — and be honest! — take a moment to congratulate yourself on hard work, well done.

If you haven't already shown your work to a trusted reader, now is probably a good time to do that.