Writers are told again and again to “kill your darlings.” The phrase was probably said at the first writing workshop, or maybe not…

Writers rarely set out to be wordy. The problem sneaks in through first drafts. We add scaffolding to get the thought down, stack adjectives to feel more descriptive, hedge with phrases like “it might be possible” so we don’t sound too blunt. The impulse is understandable — language feels safer padded.