I love this (and envy it.) I think there must exist an old Irish adage something to the effect, “why write ten words when you can write a hundred?” Brevity is not my strong suit so I long to perfect the mastery and control you also refer to in your experience of smaller pieces, like your series for The New Yorker. And the advice about daily word quota is so helpful! Tiny steps. Each chisel the careful sculpting, editing and polishing what might hope to one day reveal a ‘David’ of a written (master)piece.