I said a couple of times during my recent trip to UPenn that "Most writing is too long". People seemed to nod appreciatively at this, so here's some more on that topic...
Most writing is too long and the most common reason is that it's not written for the reader's benefit. Readers want the important stuff, as clearly as possible, in the shortest possible space. If you remember that and let it guide your writing, you won't go far wrong. The reader's favourite bits are the ones you don't write.
The problem is that it's tempting to write for your own benefit, not the reader's, and this almost always ends up making things too long. This can take many forms:
Some write to help themselves understand the material, such that the end product is a record of their learning process. Others will insert details that the reader doesn't need, because ...
