When is the best time to add detail?

Question

Is it better to fill your first draft with excessive detail and edit the unneeded parts out after or if it is better to write simply and go back and add in the details after it is done?

Answer 1

It can work well either way. If you are a detail-oriented writer/person (like I am), then you will likely find yourself including a bunch of details in your writing, and then going back and editing your content so that it focuses more on the point you are trying to make on paper rather than containing excessive language, even if you feel it is relevant to your content at hand.

Conversely, you may find that, as you edit, new ideas that help to elaborate upon what you wrote at first pop into your head and you include them in your writing going forward. You may even edit those new ideas on paper down the line if you see fit.

In the end: all that matters is that you have written something that matters to you and is equally meaningful to your target audience!

Best of luck in your writing endeavors!