Early on I work on the macro structure of the essay and then I drop ideas as I try to make it come together. Toward the end, I try to drop things that make it more complex without adding much value. Also, I have a tendency to add too many metaphors so I need to cut a lot of those to make the ones I keep more resonant. How do I decide? I guess I try to feel what the piece wants to be, and then cut things that aren’t that (while often adding small things that support the thing that strikes me as most core). I often cut A LOT of material. This one wasn’t so bad, but sometimes I cut 90 percent all in all, to hone in on the stuff that resonates with me.