Writing is about words. Anyone have an issue with that? Eating is about food. Agreed? What happens when we eat too much? Our tummies hurt and we have to stop eating. When we try to read overly verbose writing our brains hurt, and we will likely jump ship.
Words are wonderful and they can convey emotion, action, colour, quirks, drama, on so on. But remember they are still just words, they aren't real life. Your job as a writer is to make the two as close as possible, so the reader feels he is living the experience.
Once you start to throw words around like confetti, you cloud the story, you distract from your intent, and you likely lose your audience.
It's very easy to become self indulgent, look at something you wrote and think, "Isn't that clever, let's see if I can do it again." Before you know it ,your story is lost in a forest of verbose, rambling distraction.
By all means use creative and colourful language, but don't use it just because you can. Be economic; if something is a simple act, it doesn't need a four line description. Save that for the things that can really use some colour.
Some writing coaches are down on adjectives and adverbs. By all means use them, but only when needed. Why say talked loudly when you can say shouted? Was the sky swirling with dark, black clouds or was it angry?
When you go to edit, read it as if you are seeing it for the first time. Does what you read take you right into the story, or do you feel like an outsider watching someone show off?
You're a writer, you have a gift. Share your magic with the world. You have one chance to grab a reader with your words, or to send them running to another author. Use you words wisely.
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