I've noticed something about my writing recently, a struggle that I've been having but have not fully acknowledged. The problem is this: I'm too focused on the form of the words on the page.
Brevity and Music
Specifically, I enjoy music that tells a story. Whether that's a story spun of my imagination through classical music, or a more explicit telling through words, music that tells some kind of tale is fascinating to me. Songwriters can fit entire sagas into a few verses and a refrain, capturing character, plot, setting, conflicts and resolutions, all without the advantages I have as an author: namely, thousands and thousands of words, as well as grammar and punctuation.