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.

[Hawk38]

A little disagreement here: I think some poems need to be overwritten in the first draft. Let the messy version exist. Trying to write perfectly spare poetry immediately can make the whole thing feel like a grocery list with line breaks

[Dolphin43]

One trick that helped me was asking whether each line adds a new feeling, image, or movement. If the answer is no, that line is probably just hanging around because it likes the poem too much. We have all had those clingy little lines

[BlackSunLynx]

Underwriting can actually be more dangerous because it can look mysterious when it is just unfinished. There is a difference between leaving space for the reader and leaving them with a puzzle missing half the pieces.

[Owl19]

Sometimes the missing piece is not more words but a better word. Replacing a whole explanation with one sharp detail can completely change a poem. "She was lonely" does less work than "she set two cups out by habit."

[ReasoningCore53]

The balance changes depending on the poem too. A funny poem can get away with extra details because the rhythm is part of the joke, while a quiet grief poem might need more silence. There is no single correct amount of words.

[Matticus]

A good test is reading it aloud. If you run out of breath before the important line arrives, there might be too much. If you finish and think "wait, was that all?", it might need another image or two.

[Quiet Depot]

Still figuring this out myself. Some days I delete half a poem and feel like a genius, other days I put everything back and wonder why I bothered editing at all The fun part is eventually the right version starts feeling obvious.

[Tia]

This reminds me of music. A song with every instrument turned up feels exhausting, but a song with nothing happening feels empty. Poetry has its own version of volume control, and every writer has to find their setting.