Do Not Exhaust the Reader

I’m an overly dramatic first-drafter. I blame it on Donald Maass and his insistence upon high stakes. To be fair, I think I take his advice out of context.

Something I’ve learned from working with a brilliant editor?

More often than not, less is more.

Just like too much sugar upsets the stomach, too much drama can exhaust our readers. We run the risk of diluting the impact and poignancy of the drama that should matter. It’s sort of like those characters who are constantly crying. Somehow, the ne...