What I Learned:
Every scene should move the plot forward. If it doesn't - cut it. Do not do anything, or include anything, that slows down the flow of the story - aka back story. Trust your readers to be smart enough to pick up on stuff without you explaining it to them.Even small things can help with plotting - for example dialog tags should not draw attention to themselves. Be selective with what details you include.
The scene thing is huge! I've had to catch myself on a few scenes I really liked that just didn't do enough for the overall story. I had to go back and edit or take part of it out. But in the end, it always makes for a stronger novel.
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