Over-writing is the most common rookie mistake in passion-driven writing. The music of language seduces the writer. Unfortunately, it often bores the reader.

Here are a few tips to help reduce excess verbiage:

1. Eliminate adverbs (those words that end in "ly"). Say it with the verb and be done.
2. Use "said" for dialog and never pair any dialog tag with an adverb (rebuked reprovingly).
3. Start your stories with action; eliminate your warm up writing that starts with weather or sunrises.
4. Description is fun for writers, but less so for readers. Keep descriptions of places and time periods to a minimum. Well-chosen tags are preferred to lengthy sentences or paragraphs.
5. Stick to action rather than explanation (show, don't tell).