“Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there.”
– Anton Chekhov
I’ve no idea how useful this advice is if you’re writing a play or a novel, but I always have it in the back of my mind when I’m building a strategy document. It’s a reminder that when presenting your thinking, your story will be more clearly understood if...