What to put in and what to leave out is often one of the most difficult questions in creating works of art. Many of us have tried struggling with a work, unable to get it just right, and finally solving it when finding exactly the right thing that was superflous or exactly the right thing that was missing. The general rule is to leave out anything that does not contribute to the whole of the work. It is much more common to err on the side of complexity than on the side of simplicity, so streamline often and with enthusiasm. It is impossible to make sweeping rules about what fit in and what doesn't, because of the different effects one may desire to achieve. But it should be obvious that the parts that are most alien to the rest of the work are more likely to be undesirable. If something has a tendency to go against the grain of the work as a whole, it better have a very good reason to be there. In general, start out with an idea, and strip the composition down to the absolute minimum of parts it needs to work. And when building upon it, consider each addition carefully against the work as a whole to see if it helps or hurts. Just because a part is nice in itself, and works well in many circumstances, does not mean that it is right for that particular work. Drill: Compose a completed work that consists ONLY of three parts, no more. Drill: Take an earlier work that you have not been entirely satisfied with, attempt to strip it of superflous parts and details, and see if you can improve it.
Composition two: What to leave out