It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. -- Mark Twain

Writing, when done well, takes time. Some journalists write to a certain length and then shorten to improve quality. A similar process occurs when programming. A scaffolding is required and the final program is smaller. Unfortunately, this process of honing is greatly undervalued and often skipped. It takes significant time and creates less impressive statistics when you've finished. Regardless, the reduced volume of code will be create a long-term saving.