“But it’s interesting—why did we make those cuts? Well, we might say that we made them out of respect for our reader. By asking that series of questions (“Why is it meaningful for Jane to sit on a couch?” and so on), we were serving as a sort of advance man for a reader we are assuming to be a smart person, of good taste, a person we wouldn’t want to bore.” (George Saunders, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain)
Writing Exercise: The Art of Cutting with Purpose
Key Writing Practice Development Techniques:
1. Precision in Detail – Ensuring every detail contributes meaningfully to character, theme, or plot.
2. Respect for the Reader’s Intelligence – Trusting the reader to infer meaning rather than over-explaining.
3. Rhythmic Efficiency – Cutting unnecessary words, phrases, or scenes while maintaining flow and engagement.
Writing Prompt:
Write a 500-word scene featuring two characters in a seemingly mundane setting (a waiting room, a laundromat, a park bench). One character has a pressing internal conflict that is never directly stated. The goal is to convey their emotional state and urgency through carefully chosen details, subtext, and dialogue while cutting anything that does not serve the scene’s core tension.
Process Constraint:
Write the scene as you normally would. Then, cut at least 30% of the words while ensuring the scene retains or even strengthens its impact. Ask yourself with each cut: “Does this respect the reader’s intelligence?” and “Is this sentence earning its place?”
Evaluation Criteria:
• Strong Responses: Every retained detail carries weight, creating subtext and emotional resonance. The characters’ internal states are implied rather than explicitly stated. The rhythm feels intentional, with no wasted words but no sense of rushed omission.
• Weak Responses: The scene includes filler descriptions, redundant internal monologue, or overly direct exposition. The cuts feel arbitrary, removing clarity rather than sharpening meaning. The reader is either spoon-fed emotions or left with too little to infer anything meaningful.
Follow-Up Workshopping/Revision Questions:
1. What did the cuts reveal about the scene’s true focus?
2. Did the edited version create a stronger sense of subtext?
3. Are any remaining details still redundant or overly explanatory?
4. Does the pacing feel more effective post-editing, or did the cuts introduce choppiness?
5. If something felt painful to cut, what did that reveal about its necessity?
Recommended Reading:
Read Royal Beatings by Alice Munro. Munro is a master of cutting away excess while preserving the emotional depth of her characters. Her precision in layering details and subtext makes every chosen moment feel both understated and powerful.
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