--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Think of each detail as an egg. The…" description: "\"“Think of each detail as an egg. The writer keeps tossing them at us, one after another, seemingly unaware of the growing number of precariously balanc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/lisa-cron-40595_things-in-life_think-of-each-detail-as-an-egg-the-write_1987543.jpg" --- # Think of each detail as an egg. The writer keeps tossing… ![“Think of each detail as an egg. The writer keeps tossing them at us, one after another, seemingly unaware of the growing number of precariously balanced eggs we’re being asked to hold. So somewhere around the middle of the description—say, the huge brass lamp—it’s one egg too many. The trouble is…” quote by Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/lisa-cron-40595_things-in-life_think-of-each-detail-as-an-egg-the-write_1987543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/lisa-cron-40595_things-in-life_think-of-each-detail-as-an-egg-the-write_1987543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/lisa-cron-40595_things-in-life_think-of-each-detail-as-an-egg-the-write_1987543.jpg) > ““Think of each detail as an egg. The writer keeps tossing them at us, one after another, seemingly unaware of the growing number of precariously balanced eggs we’re being asked to hold. So somewhere around the middle of the description—say, the huge brass lamp—it’s one egg too many. The trouble is, we don’t just drop that particular egg; all the eggs go crashing to the ground. The more details the writer gives us, the fewer we’ll remember, proving, once again, that as with most things in life, less is more.”” [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive detail overwhelms readers, causing them to forget the core narrative. **In simple terms:** Too many details ruin a story. Key Takeaway Trim details, focus on essentials. Themes writing clarity focus Mood reflective analytical Type instructional critical When to use this quote - novel drafting - screenwriting - editing - teaching writing Key Concepts cognitive load information overload narrative economy Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify which details serve the story? - When does a detail become a distraction? A Different Perspective More detail can enrich texture but risks losing audience attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I still think an Egg McMuffin is the best breakfast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/i-still-think-an-egg-mcmuffin-is-the-best-breakfast/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [I bet you think an egg is something you casually order for breakfast when you can't think of anything else. 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SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I realized that all things in life are connected and I could no longer go about life without looking within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-realized-that-all-things-in-life-are-connected-and-i-could-no/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I need the best things in life, that's women, thats cars. Cigars in Venice, bottle on ice, thats priceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-need-the-best-things-in-life-that-s-women-thats-cars-cigars-in/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) ## More by Lisa Cron > [“...what draws us into a story and keeps us there is the firing of our dopamine neurons, signaling that intriguing information is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/what-draws-us-into-a-story-and-keeps-us-there-is-the-firing-of-our/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“You cherry-pick events that are relevant to the story question and construct a gauntlet of challenge (read: the plot) that will force the protagonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/you-cherry-pick-events-that-are-relevant-to-the-story-question-and/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“Stories are about people who are uncomfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/stories-are-about-people-who-are-uncomfortable/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“Before there were books, we read each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/before-there-were-books-we-read-each-other/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“Each thing you add to your story is a drop of paint falling into clear water; it spreads through and colors everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/each-thing-you-add-to-your-story-is-a-drop-of-paint-falling-into/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“Remember, when we're lost in a story, we're not passively reading about something that's happening to someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cron/remember-when-we-re-lost-in-a-story-we-re-not-passively-reading-about/) [Lisa Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cron/) > [“what we’re hoping for in that opening sentence is the sense that something is about to change (and not necessarily for the better). 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It's one of the few things in life, the economy goes bad, you still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-o-neal/professional-sports-is-a-monster-it-s-not-even-real-life-it-s-one-of/) [Jermaine O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-o-neal/) > [Sometimes, The Smallest Things In Life Turn Out To Make The Biggest Difference...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-the-smallest-things-in-life-turn-out-to-make-the-biggest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I realized that there are just certain things in life that are private. 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Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) [Browse all 1,860 Things in life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Think of each detail as an egg. The writer keeps tossing them at us, one after another, seemingly unaware of the growing number of precariously balanced eggs we’re being asked to hold. So somewhere around the middle of the description—say, the huge brass lamp—it’s one egg too many. The trouble is, we don’t just drop that particular egg; all the eggs go crashing to the ground. 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