Overwriting and Underwriting are bad habits in writing that almost all writers are guilty of. Underwriting is the bare bear form, little to no description and setting. Overwriting is the opposite. The excess fat overwhelms the senses and adds irrelevant details that don’t advance the plot. Now, I am experienced in both overwriting and underwriting in different ways. I am an underwriting in line editing but an overwriter in plot elements. You can be both like an overwriter in setting but underwriter in dialogue. Put yourself in the reader’s perspective. You don’t know character’s features or where they’re at or what emotions they’re experiencing. The key is the identify these so the reader can visualize the story you’re trying to convey. Underwriting doesn’t give the reader much to work with and makes the characters and story feel like a hollow essay. Overwriting can bore the reader with unnecessary monologue and make them forget the purpose of the story. Let’s find out some solutions for these problems.
find your balance against overwriting and underwriting
For Underwriters, think of the five senses. (sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch). If you add any of these, it instance grounds the story. Ex. Emily walked into the kitchen. The aroma of cookies tickled her nose. She could already taste the chocolate chip goodness. She pushed her face to the oven, seeing the beige dough brown. One more easy solution is to show don’t tell. It’s essentially the first commandment of the writer’s bible. Show emotion! Don’t just say Steve is happy, John laughs, Ashley cries, and Heather is mad. Describe it and the reader will use their imagination. They’re not brainless. As for Overwriters cut back the dead weight a little. Refrain from info dumping when introducing to a new character. Also, don’t have a whole paragraph of monologue during an exchange between characters. It should go back and forth! I still struggle with these habits. Even after years, it still slips through the cracks, but that’s what multiple rounds of edits are for. Overwriting and underwriting reminds us that no one and no story is perfect. Find the balance in between and it’ll result in the best version of your story, I promise.