actually too many screws can be a very bad thing. if you split the wood, you just made it weaker. use good wood glue, predrill every screw hole, only use a screw where you see a small gap in the seam. you use screws like clamps, they just need to hold it all together until the glue dries.
like i said, not trying to insult you. its ok to mess up. when i look at a build i look for something that is wrong and try to help the person learn how to do it better next time.