Less is more: Why we sometimes, maybe, write too much

Words are easy to come by. Restraint, less so.When I think back to my entire history of verbal and written communication it's all incredibly, possibly painfully, verbose. Why is that? When I see emails and hear conversations in which others get their point across so fluidly. So quickly.In an attempt to answer the why, I'll start with: I just have a lot to say! And likely there's even more that I want to say, but perhaps shouldn't.I try to practice restraint in the form of self-editing. Like the elusive filter to think before one speaks. Does that work for anybody? I'd love to find out if so.Having this blog has been a good exercise in keeping up a writing practice, and also flexing my more concise muscle. I'm a bit out of shape.I can't be the only one that starts out (or publishes) bloated language brimming with too many thoughts. I've read Cloud Atlas, City on Fire, The Goldfinch and so many other modern classics of literary fiction that boast high word counts and massive sales. What, then, entitles some writers to gain acclaim and fame despite lengthy prose?The quality of the writing. The authenticity of the voice. The compelling nature of the dialogue. And a damn good story. One article or piece of work doesn't have to contain all of these components, but in my opinion it's better if it does.As a Content Director by profession, culling content to be interesting and easily consumable is my specialty. Yet when it comes to my personal fiction, poetry, and non-fiction essays I tend to ramble. I love a run-on sentence that toys with acceptable grammar and rushes in front of my eyes, snapping together vivid imagery or introducing me to a new idea of long-winded and energetic character.See what I did there?The trick is figuring out the why. Why does this sentence need to be this many words long? What is the point I'm trying to get across? Is the character known for droning on and on, and to portray their annoying qualities, I need to give them hefty dialogue without interruption?These are all good questions for me to consider. And you too, if you're finding yourself like me, reading excerpts that sound wildly familiar because maybe you wrote them in a different way in an earlier section. (Or you've rambled on for so long on your makeshift, virtual soapbox that you've circled back to the same points and tired phrases. Who does that? Not me, never ever.) How do you approach your own lengthy or not-so-long writing? What questions do you ask yourself? Leave it in the comments, folks!