Top Ten Writing Tips #4 – Killing Those Darlings
Half the world says this, the rest of us nod wisely and turn away. I used to be a wise nodder and I was thinking, ‘But what does this mean?’ It’s a good question.
The earliest reference I could find comes from 1916, when Arthur Quiller-Couch wrote ‘Murder your darlings’* in one of his Cambridge lectures, where he was professor of English. You can read it in full here. It’s in the style of its time, Quiller-Couch refers to his audience exclusively as ‘Gentlemen’, but still a worthwhile read. William Faulkner paraphrased him, King quoted Faulkner. Everyone’s at it.
What it doesn’t mean is that you should go through your ms and get rid of all the good bits. Think about it – the whole thing is meant to be one great long good bit.
Neither does it mean you should cut out your favourite bits. Knowing you have favourite bits tells you something else – that you also have non-favourite bits. Good bits and favourite bits, go back and look at the rest of your writing, figure out why those not-so-good sections are not working, and make them better.
Killing for pleasure and profit. Thrillers, horror, murder mystery, SF, fantasy, historical drama. Readers and writers both enjoy a bit of timely death and mayhem through a whole range of fiction.
The death of one of my major characters in Shopocalypse was a tragic surprise to me. I was happily writing the story and there it was. I didn’t want her to die, I liked the character, but time and tide had brought her to that situation. The story required it, demanded it, and she had to go. I did what I could to help her. I kept it quick.
Killing off your favourite characters? It doesn’t mean that either.
Murder your darlings is when you cut your favourite bits whether it is an example of good writing, vivid characterisation, or great action, when it contributes nothing to the story you are telling.
Sometimes minor characters can bid for stardom, they walk through the door and look you in the eye and say ‘I have a part to play.’ Half the time it’s true, the other half they send you all over the place telling their own stories, subverting the narrative away from the one you are supposed to be telling.
Here’s one of mine, from my current work in progress, a fantasy called ‘Beyond the Streets We Know’.
I loved that character Kyril, and I know he was trying to help me out of a difficult situation with my protagonist, but there was no place for him. He was too interesting, his character too strong, his background too rich and vivid. He was taking over and he had to go.
But I digress. Deciding when to cut can be a difficult call. One person’s irrelevance is another person’s entertaining digression and for some writers digression is part of their style and part of the reason people read them. (Rule #2 – There are no rules.)
If you do cut, paste as well. Each of my projects has a file called the Word Moraine where all these unwanted bits and pieces go.. Because sometimes I’m wrong, and when I take a look at the file at the end of the draft some of the word moraine needs to go back in. Not often, and not very much, but enough to make it worthwhile.
And some bits are just too good to throw. Some bits you just know will someday, somewhere, find a home.
Next week: Who do you write for?
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*“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.”
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