The first thing I remove when editing a manuscript

Deleting information is key to creating a taut and engrossing story

Yes, I have been known to delete more than half the text some poor author submitted. Occasionally, there are scenes where nothing changes, or an inner monologue that just makes your mind wander. Sometimes, dialogue that overexplains.

However, a great deal of what I cut is information. Authors forget that this should be portioned out on a need-to-know basis.

The thing is writers often explain things too early. They tell us who the characters are, their names, why they behave the way they do, what happened before the story began, and what everything means.

A bit like check, check and check. Surely, providing the reader with all the tidbits the story consists of is a good thing.

However, knowing everything is not what pulls readers through a book.

Curiosity does.

The moment readers understand everything, the engine of the story weakens. We enjoy scouring for patterns and connections. With nothing held back we know what is going on, so we relax.

Stories become gripping when something remains unresolved.

Why did she say that?
What is he hiding?
What really happened before this scene?

Good storytelling delays answers.

This doesn’t mean confusing the reader or hiding essential information. Need-to-know, remember?

Instead of informing them, let the reader notice behaviour. Let them see fragments. Let them sense that something is left out. What could it be?

Readers enjoy assembling meaning themselves. It creates immersion, as we have to put ourselves in characters’ place and try and understand them.

This is why explanation is often the first thing I remove in editing. Foremost backstory, motivations and context that is not yet required.

EXAMPLE:

With explanation

John hesitated before entering the hospital room. For years, he had avoided his father after their terrible argument about the family business.

After editing

John paused outside the hospital room.

He pushed open the door. His father lay there, staring.

“Come to finish the argument?” The voice as sharp as ever.

Here, we focus on deciphering the relationship, the power struggle between them. The cause of said argument can wait.

One of the simplest ways to increase tension in a manuscript is therefore also one of the most counterintuitive:

Hold information back.

Just long enough that the reader begins to wonder, then hand out tiny droplets.