Lean Writing Is Not the Point: Using the Goldilocks Approach for Drafting
More and more, I see an emphasis among both editors and writers alike on keeping drafts lean. The basic ideas are that leanness somehow proves control of skill, and that leanness accommodates the short attention span readers have.
It’s true that, as you try to tighten a document, you have to think critically about what’s most necessary and be strategic. But the goal is not to simply eliminate, eliminate, eliminate.
“Just right” writing
For a story or piece of nonfiction to function, it has to be lean enough to be efficient but robust enough to move. You want neither a skeleton nor a bloated monstrosity, but rather a healthy-weight draft with strong muscles on the bones.
This is what I call Goldilocks drafting — the length is neither too big nor too small, but just right. Rather than being shackled by word count, it asks, “Does the content give each idea exactly the space it’s earned — no more, no less?”
“Too many words” is reminiscent of “too many notes”
As I recall the teenage years I spent adoring authors like Cervantes, Dickens, and Hugo, I feel a little bit like Mozart in the film Amadeus: After Mozart conducts his opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Emperor Joseph II — prompted largely by Count Orsini-Rosenberg — comments that there are “too many notes.” Mozart retorts that there are just as many notes as he requires.
“Good” writing is not a matter of word count and pure brevity. It’s a matter of communicating with clarity of meaning, discerning where to hold and where to release. Strict efficiency is not the goal — impactful sufficiency within inspired structure is.
This is what Salieri recognizes in Mozart’s music later.***
In the video below, I highlight three core ways to strike the ideal balance for a draft that’s neither too short nor too long.
[Transcript summary]
Most writers think editing is about cutting fluff. But cutting content isn’t actually the problem.
The real problem is balance.
In writing, you don’t want to be too lean—where the reader doesn’t get enough detail to feel deeply or to follow you. And you don’t want to be too verbose—where the point gets buried under explanation.
You want the Goldilocks draft.
Not too much. Not too little. Just right.
One way to get there is by asking what a section is doing. Is it explaining? Transitioning? Adding emotional weight? If it’s not serving a function, it’s probably excess.
But here are three other ways to find the middle.
First: Edit for cognitive load, not word count.
After a paragraph, ask: What question did this answer for the reader? If it didn’t answer one, it might be too long or even unnecessary. If it answered five at once, it’s probably too short.
Second: Match space to importance.
Big ideas deserve plenty of room. Supporting ideas don’t need as much. If a minor point takes more space than your core message, your balance is off.
Third: Choose specificity over explanation.
One concrete example can replace three sentences of abstract clarity. Specific language compresses meaning without killing voice.
When you’ve finally got a full working draft, read your work out loud and listen for rhythm. If it drags, it’s bloated. If it snaps too fast, it’s underbuilt.
Goldilocks writing isn’t about cutting or adding words. It’s about giving each idea exactly the space it earns.
That’s how you get writing that’s efficient and alive.
What are you working on right now that could benefit from the Goldilocks principle? Share your projects in the comments.
***
(Did you catch the “taking dictation” reference? I’ve loved this scene for a while. 😉)