Here is a quote from Michael Moschen, perhaps the best contact juggler in the world, one of the most significant jugglers of the 20th century, recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant:
[font=verdana, arial]Moschen tells would-be jugglers that having too many balls in the air can be dangerous, that control is just an illusion. "Try to understand the characteristics of the objects coming at you," he says. "Create a separate flight path for each. Beware of taking the simplest forms for granted, because it's the simplest thing that will be your anchor."
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There's wisdom for all of us there.
For "object" read "character" and apply this to your writing.