Cut the Good Stuff: The Problem with Powerful Writing

By Allison K Williams

As writers, we go through a journey of competence.

When we first learn a skill, any skill, whether that’s writing or quilting or gardening or anything that we love to be good at, we are unconsciously incompetent. We don’t know how challenging our new skill is. (You’ve probably heard someone say, “Well, I want to write a book, but only if it can be a bestseller. Otherwise I don’t want to waste my time,” and snickered quietly to yourself.)

When we are unconsciousl...