: Re: Tips to identify "noise" or "clutter" in your story I'm a fan of minimalism so I tend to write stories which are as simple as possible. And sometimes I add elements that don't have a concrete

@Harper186

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I engage in the minimalist style to some degree, so I can understand why removing the 'noise' from your story is important: it causes distraction which undermines the impact of your story.

I cannot give you a foolproof system but the one that works for me is that I make sure each detail that I am putting in my story has a purpose/reason behind it. It must contribute to the storyline.

For example, if I describe in the first few paragraphs that a character is concerned about something, I then make sure that readers become aware of exactly what is bothering him or her. If you write several paragraphs that are unrelated to the character's concerns, that is clutter!

I am not saying that you cannot write several paragraphs as background to your character's concerns. The key point here is that every paragraph you write must be either directly or indirectly connected to the character's concerns.

It often comes down to good editing techniques. You know your plot and you want your readers to imagine it like you do. So edit your stories to fit the picture you have in your mind. If a detail does not make sense to you (i.e. does not contribute to the storyline), then it will not make sense to your readers.

My golden rule is that if it is a standalone description, then it is most likely clutter.

Example:

He was wearing a red jumper and standing at the back of the room (standalone - ask yourself: so what?).
He was wearing a red jumper that helped him blend into the dark setting of the room (description is not stand alone)

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