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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/24223
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I recently read the question "[What does show don't tell actually mean?](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/24163/what-does-show-dont-tell-actually-mean)" and in the answers, there were a few examples of showing that had extensive description. However, there are numerous websites (and even questions on this website) that say you should cut all unnecessary content while editing, including extensive, unnecessary detail. Maybe I'm wrong, but

> "Laying the flowers on Joan's door step, he strained to listen for any sounds from within. Every creaking or bump sent a jolt of terrified lust through his tense body. John both hoped and feared that Joan would catch him, and he was both glad and disappointed as he walked away from her house." (Answer by [what](https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5645/what))

seems slightly extensive and full of things that you could cut in the editing process. (And there are plently of other examples too; this is just one of the first few examples I could find.) Of course, the example above is much better than

> John loves Joan

but it could be reduced to fewer sentences. As quoted before, "It seems that perfection is attained, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away." ([Antoine de Saint Exupery](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint_Exup%C3%A9ry)). So to what extent is too much "showing" description too much?

Original score: 2