I adore Judd Apatow. Ever since I saw Freaks and Geeks, I have wanted to hang a poster of him in my office as a source of inspiration (don’t worry; I won’t build a shrine a la Helga in Hey Arnold!). I think he is funny, brilliant, and interesting. He creates characters that are complex, flawed, and lovable.

The man knows how to write.

So I was so, so excited to watch This Is 40. I was expecting to laugh. I was expecting to be moved. I was expecting to be blown away by the writing.

Well, one out of three ain’t bad.

I did laugh. A lot.

What can I say? I have a weakness for kids saying hilarious things.

But was I moved? Was I impressed with the writing?

Nope.

Why?

Because it wasn’t edited enough.

Okay, okay. So what does that mean exactly? Well, when my friend and I were watching the movie, we kept clutching our hair and saying, “When is this going to end?” My husband would shake his head as he passed by to get a glass of water and say, “This seems just episodic to me.” (You can tell we have known each other for almost a decade when he says things like that. He has been around me for way too long.)

Why? How did this happen?

He didn’t cut enough. He kept scenes that weren’t really contributing to the through line (the main plot/conflict of a story). Since the story was clearly based of Judd Apatow’s own life, I think he was too emotionally invested in some scenes. I imagine he kept too many of them because they actually happened. It was probably cathartic for him to write, and it was hard for him to part with something that he experienced.

As a result, the story was a rambling, lingering mess.

What is the takeaway for you? When in doubt, cut it out. When looking over the scenes in your book, ask yourself: “How is this contributing to the overall plot/narrative?” If you can’t answer it, cut it. This is especially true for memoir writers or people writing a book based on their lives. It is harder to see this clearly when you are emotionally close to the piece.

Having trouble figuring out what to cut? We are happy to help you out.