Tags
editing, Faulkner, kill your darlings, murder your darlings, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, writing, writing advice
Along with “write what you know,” writers are advised to “kill your darlings.” Essentially the advice is – during the editing process, if you come across a particularly witty or beautiful passage in your writing; cut it. Pretty is not necessarily correct. I struggle with the idea that beautiful sentences are bad sentences but, I get the point. For example, in the chapter I am editing right now I came across a gorgeous image of my main character leaving footprints in a dust covered floor while rushing to open the door. It’s evocative of where she is in her personal journey and generally pretty. It also got cut. The story is standing on the stoop.
Interesting note on the origin of this adage: The phrase “kill your darlings” is attributed to William Faulkner who is reported to have said, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” Faulkner seems to have borrowed the concept from Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch who wrote in his 1916 publication “On the Art of Writing,” “Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it wholeheartedly and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.”
Scribbling In The Storage Room 
Clever quote! And I know you liked that description!
Misquoted it so often myself! And Samuel Johnson said something similar in the 18th century….whoever, whenever, it’s true!
Great minds think alike. this was the title and theme of my post today. A necessary part of the editing process and a lesson we all need to learn.
This is the second time I’ve come across this quote, however the first time I saw it, it wasn’t described quite as well and disturbed me greatly by what was being suggested. It makes much more sense the way you’ve put it, but it’s still sad. I love my ‘darlings’ and have a hard time cutting them. However, I do cut things when I need to and keep them stored away so they’re not really lost.
Have fun with a-z.
Ive read this before. Somtimes I think I write too plainly. I never really find anything all that worthy of the term darling although I do edit a LOT out!
I hope when you finish #atozchallene you will begin a mystery by the name of Kill Your Darlings…..I’ll be first in line at the books signing.
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