While you did your research, you may have collected information on more areas than you can comfortably cover or on areas that on second thought just don't seem that interesting. As you continue to think about your outline or key points, decide if some pieces are better left out. For example, if you plan to write about the history of your town, you may want to forego covering the construction of the post office because it actually replaced the small building that was already there and didn't effect any change on the town.

Including uninteresting information just because you gathered it, trying to work in something that you find interesting but that just doesn't fit, or covering too much territory in a short piece can keep your work from being its best. If you have trouble deciding what to leave in and leave out, try to think about the idea as though you know nothing about it. What would you like to know as a reader? You can also ask friends what they would be interested in reading about.