--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big issue was cutting. I finally cut…" description: "\"The big issue was cutting. I finally cut as much as I could, about a fourth of the story, and actually liked it.\" — ZZ Packer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/zz-packer-64818_bigs_the-big-issue-was-cutting-i-finally-cut_82546.jpg" --- # The big issue was cutting. I finally cut as much as I… ![“The big issue was cutting. I finally cut as much as I could, about a fourth of the story, and actually liked it.” quote by ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/zz-packer-64818_bigs_the-big-issue-was-cutting-i-finally-cut_82546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/zz-packer-64818_bigs_the-big-issue-was-cutting-i-finally-cut_82546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/zz-packer-64818_bigs_the-big-issue-was-cutting-i-finally-cut_82546.jpg) > “The big issue was cutting. I finally cut as much as I could, about a fourth of the story, and actually liked it.” [ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author reflects on editing a narrative, removing a substantial portion to improve focus and enjoyment. **In simple terms:** Editing enhances narrative clarity. Key Takeaway Less can be more. Themes editing conciseness storytelling self‑discipline creative process Mood satisfied reflective Type personal insight creative advice When to use this quote - writing a short story - drafting a novel - editing a blog post - preparing a speech Key Concepts narrative structure authorial voice revision Practical Applications - streamlining content - improving reader engagement Questions to Reflect On - What parts of a story are essential? - How does removal affect meaning? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Cut Fourth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cut-fourth-1046258/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Cutting Finally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting-finally-1046257/) [Editing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editing/) [Finally Cut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finally-cut-1046256/) [Fourth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourth/) [Issue Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issue-cutting-1046255/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-actually-823671/) ## Related quotes > [Depression is like slashing at ghosts. Of course it's tempting to finally cut something real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/depression-is-like-slashing-at-ghosts-of-course-it-s-tempting-to/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [I have been working out for 30 years, staying in shape in the dream that someday I would get to play a sex scene.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-have-been-working-out-for-30-years-staying-in-shape-in-the-dream/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [“The experimental version of this story could actually be told as two stories happening “simultaneously,” each narrated in alternating sections which take place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/the-experimental-version-of-this-story-could-actually-be-told-as-two/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > ['Love Story' is actually about a guy that I almost dated. But when I introduced him to my family and my friends, they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/love-story-is-actually-about-a-guy-that-i-almost-dated-but-when-i/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I like it when somebody tells me a story, and I actually really feel that that's becoming like a lost art in American cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-like-it-when-somebody-tells-me-a-story-and-i-actually-really-feel/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [The real story of Facebook is just that we've worked so hard for all this time. I mean, the real story is actually probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-real-story-of-facebook-is-just-that-we-ve-worked-so-hard-for-all/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I just think people have a lot of fiction. But, you know, I mean, the real story of Facebook is just that we've worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-just-think-people-have-a-lot-of-fiction-but-you-know-i-mean-the/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Every writer knows a lot more about their characters and story than actually makes it onto the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/every-writer-knows-a-lot-more-about-their-characters-and-story-than/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“Can a story be good only if it produces an effect? If the effect is a bad one, but intended, has the story done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/can-a-story-be-good-only-if-it-produces-an-effect-if-the-effect-is-a/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“Every picture tells a story. But sometimes it's hard to know what story is actually being told.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anastasia-hollings/every-picture-tells-a-story-but-sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-what/) [Anastasia Hollings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anastasia-hollings/) > [I need a fourth belt. It would mean a lot to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-bivol/i-need-a-fourth-belt-it-would-mean-a-lot-to-me/) [Dmitry Bivol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-bivol/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [Of course I want to be on the floor in the fourth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/of-course-i-want-to-be-on-the-floor-in-the-fourth/) [Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by ZZ Packer > [I think when we engage in language we are engaging in something that is specifically and primally human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-packer-64818/i-think-when-we-engage-in-language-we-are-engaging-in-something-that/) [ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) > [Well, as a short-story writer, I don't think there are any weaknesses to the genre itself. I guess I would say that the difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-packer-64818/well-as-a-short-story-writer-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-weaknesses/) [ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) > [Be wary of feeling as through there is not enough room at the table. Oftentimes a female Chinese-American might feel as through she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-packer-64818/be-wary-of-feeling-as-through-there-is-not-enough-room-at-the-table/) [ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) > [“She did not want to say it, because it made no practical sense, but in the end she went to Japan for the delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-packer-64818/she-did-not-want-to-say-it-because-it-made-no-practical-sense-but-in/) [ZZ Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) [Explore all 5 ZZ Packer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-packer-64818/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The big issue was cutting. 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