Overwriting vs Underwriting

[MrRicardo]

I either say way too much or barely anything at all. There's no in-between. How do you find balance?

[ProperMadlad20]

Write too much first. Editing is where balance happens

[HitmanMatt53]

I underwrite naturally, so I force myself to add detail. It feels unnatural but helps

[TheRizz]

MEGA overwriter. Why write a line when 10 will do!

[StringTheory83]

Balance is overrated. Lean into your style. Some of the best poems are extreme in one direction

[HitmanMatt53]

I love the way you put that. I like threads like this because people come at the same thing from different angles.

This is exactly the kind of conversation I come here for

[ParallelSelf90]

That is the take I have had for a while. Ask me again in six weeks

[Coder22]

Cheers for that. Good thread this.

[Dark Hawk]

I either say way too much or barely anything at all. There's no in-between. How do you find balance?

Hmm, not convinced. Yeah I get that.

Thanks for that

[PrimeToby37]

Finding that middle ground is probably the hardest part of writing. Too much explanation can smother the image, but too little can leave the reader standing outside the door. Sometimes cutting one stanza hurts at first, then you realize the poem finally has room to breathe

[Boar]

The funny thing is overwriting and underwriting are often the same problem wearing different clothes. Both can come from not trusting the reader enough. A strong image like "the empty chair still faced the window" already carries a lot without needing three extra lines explaining the sadness.