The ‘Kill Your Darlings’ of Fictional writing.

I never knew about the ‘Kill Your Darlings’ of fictional writing until I read Kera Hollow's creation.

Mary Oliver's Tips For Writing Poetry

Mary Oliver...a poetry handbook, sounds like a practical and wise buy for lover's of poetry.

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Advice I found online from: friesenpress.com. pknightwriting.com+1. And MasterClass+1.

"Killing your darlings" is a writing adage that encourages authors to eliminate beloved but unnecessary elements from their work to enhance the overall narrative.

Origin of the Phrase

The phrase "kill your darlings" is often attributed to William Faulkner, but it originally comes from Arthur Quiller-Couch's 1916 book, On the Art of Writing. Quiller-Couch advised writers to indulge in their creative impulses but to be willing to cut out any beautiful writing that does not serve the story before finalizing their work.

What It Means

In essence, "killing your darlings" refers to the process of removing characters, scenes, sentences, or subplots that, while cherished by the writer, do not contribute meaningfully to the story. This can be a challenging but necessary part of the editing process, as it requires writers to evaluate their work objectively and prioritize the narrative's clarity and impact over personal attachment.

Tips for Killing Your Darlings

1. Identify Redundancies: Look for repetitive ideas or phrases that do not add value to your writing. Streamlining your work can enhance its effectiveness.

2. Watch for Overly Cute Prose: Sentences that sound clever but do not advance the plot or character development should be reconsidered. Aim for concise and purposeful writing.

3. Evaluate Plot Elements: Be willing to cut entire subplots or characters that distract from the main narrative. Focus on what drives the story forward. .

4. Save Your Cuts: To ease the emotional burden of cutting beloved content, consider saving a copy of your original draft or keeping a separate document for deleted sections. This way, you can revisit them later if needed.

5. Be Ruthless: Embrace the idea that good writing often involves substantial rewriting. The best writers learn to detach from their work and make tough decisions for the sake of the story

By applying the principle of "killing your darlings," writers can create tighter, more engaging narratives that resonate with readers while allowing their creativity to flourish during the drafting process.

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Wow! I kind of figured out most of this on my own since I began writing on Vocal. Especially from reading some AI stories, where they tend to overemphasize and embellish with unnecessary details.

Just sharing.

Thanks Kera.