When does it end?

I think the 'over-explaining' problem may result from failure to heed the oft-offered 'Show, don't tell' advice. For example, if I describe (show) a character being spanked as "wincing, squirming and yelping", do I really need to explain (tell) that he's in pain?

It's impossible never to 'tell' a certain amount in a story, because various important elements can't easily be done without it. But providing a character's backstory, for example, might be 'shown' more effectively via dialogue, rather than 'told' in yet more narrative prose.

I'm grateful for this discussion, because there's a lot about the process that I still don't fully understand. Like you, I think I rely quite a lot on instinct and intuition, but I couldn't say how that works.

Engishmaster.
Please don't think of what I wrote as a correction. I do understand that the question "Where does it end?" is meant for authors. And needs a response from people who are writing for an audience. I'm in that in between segment that's still trying to figure out who he's writing for.

And that leads to other questions.

As far as whether my future self is my audience? If I ever meet him, I'll ask. But sometimes writing itself helps me in the "here and now."