Critique Your Editing Process for Over-Cutting

You cut hard and your drafts come out tight but somehow lifeless. This separates trimming the unnecessary from cutting the things that give work voice and breathing room, and shows where you cross the line. Good if your edits leave everything correct and nothing alive. You learn where to stop the knife.

<context>
You have a tendency to edit your work down heavily and suspect you may be cutting more than you should. Your final drafts feel tight but sometimes lifeless.
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<task>
1. Name three things editing too heavily tends to remove: specific detail, voice, and connective tissue that helps the reader move
2. Describe the difference between removing what is unnecessary and removing what is merely surplus to information but essential to tone
3. Suggest a test to apply before deleting any passage: does its removal make the whole better, or just shorter?
4. Recommend one editing practice that preserves cuts without permanently deleting them
</task>

<output_format>
- Three things over-editing removes: three bullets with one-sentence descriptions
- Necessary vs merely surplus: one paragraph
- Test before deleting: one clear question
- Practice recommendation: one specific technique
- Length: 200 to 300 words
- Tone: precise and thoughtful
</output_format>