Don't Be a Tolstoy

I love the contradictions of life. Not really. I'm like everybody else, it's the little things that annoy me. Why Tolstoy? I read his book. His really super excruciatingly long book, Anna Karenina. I didn't cheat and fast forward by skipping pages either.

Granted, it may have been a properly placed "bathroom book" but I finished it. I've been applauded by other writers for doing so! But, I literally hated reading about Russian farmland and did not see the relevance of that needless information. Admittedly, I may have zoned out and missed a point or two. But in my opinion it was wasted pages.

An intelligent writer lectured today that there should be no "excess" in a book. If it's not important or necessary to the story then cut it out. I thought, "I wish someone told Tolstoy that!" Oh well, point taken, I'll trim the fat hoping any Tolstoy wannabes follow the same writing rules!