The Minimalist's Magnum Opus

A minimalist author spends twenty years writing his masterpiece. His editor finally receives the manuscript: a single page with one sentence. 'This is it?' she asks. 'It took me two decades,' he replies proudly. 'The first ten years were spent writing a 900-page epic. The next ten were spent cutting it down to its essence.' She reads aloud: 'Things happened, then ended.' He nods solemnly. 'Every word was earned.'