As a poet, I think this is valuable advice to all writers. I love reading novels. In poetry, the fluff is even more harmful than in a novel, I suppose. Having said that, even in novels, if I already know what the sentence is saying, my eyes will drift to see the next page and what happens next. If a book is able to engage me in each sentences without feeling like I should skip some paragraphs, then it's good writing!
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My "test" is similar: if I don't find myself daydreaming as my eyes skim the page I know it's good writing.
I agree with you in regards to poetry. Much more fluff must be removed.
It's easy to fall in love with a sentence and not want it to be edited at all. I know the feeling, but you have to do it for the sake of the whole thing!
Lol right! For the small shall suffer for the benefit of the whole!