Lucy Anguiano, Texas girl who smells like corn, like Frito Bandito chips, like tortillas, something like that warm smell of nixtamal or bread the way her head smells when she’s leaning close to you over a paper cut-out doll or on the porch when we are squatting over marbles trading this pretty crystal that leaves a blue star on your head for that giant cat-eye with a grasshopper green spiral in the center like the juice of bugs on the windshield when you drive to the border, like the yellow blood of butterflies.

The above paragraph from Sandra Cisneros’ My Friend Lucy Who Smells Like Corn is exquisitely written. Still, the paragraph is excessively worded for the average reader looking for a simple escape into an entertaining read. 

The average reader wants to sink into a book with a great plot and relatable characters. They’re looking for entertainment. They don’t want to spend their time reading convoluted and confusing sentences where too many unnecessary words get in the way and require so much concentration they end up not enjoying the reading experience.

Less is more in writing. Don’t waste time tossing unnecessary words. If your story has a good plot and relatable characters, drowning it with unnecessary words will turn the reader off. If the sky is blue, say just that. Keeping your story entertaining and straightforward will attract more readers.

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