When a computer gets too much information jammed into it, all it takes to fix things is a computer memory upgrade. If only it were that simple for writers.
The creative process is a tricky thing; everyone hears about the fear of the blank page, waiting for the first burst of creativity to begin filling it up. Writer’s block is common knowledge, even among non-writers.
Not many people talk about the opposite number of that problem: too many ideas floating around in your head and having no idea how to sort them so you can start working them into a smooth, comprehensible story.
It happens more often than you’d expect, and some folks who write ponderous, rambling novels are the most guilty of it. (Michner comes to mind.) It’s the kind of affliction where you want to tell every single thing there is to know about every single character, an overdose of character depth and richness.
Ultimately, narratives are most moving when only the most relevant bits of back story make it onto the final page. Think about that the next time you are tempted to interrupt a ripping good action sequence to tell your audience about how your hero learned bravery that time they broke their arm in fifth grade.
