My writing group told me I had 3 pages of backstory for a character who dies in chapter 2, and I thought that was normal

My buddy Mike from the Monday night critique session said I needed to kill my darlings and I rolled my eyes until he pointed out I spent 400 words describing her favorite sandwich shop for no payoff, and now I'm wondering if I'm the only one who overwrites minor people like they're the main cast.

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paul_lane805d ago

Wait this is actually kind of relatable. I used to think every little detail about a minor character was crucial because I spent time imagining them. Then I had a beta reader tell me they skipped a whole paragraph about a cashier's tragic backstory because the cashier never showed up again. Hit me hard. Now I limit myself to two sentences max for anyone who isn't sticking around. It hurts but the pacing is way better.