Kill - Your Darlings

While frequently attributed to William Faulkner or Stephen King, the phrase originated with in his 1916 book, On the Art of Writing . Quiller-Couch famously wrote:

A "darling" is any element of your work that you keep out of vanity rather than necessity. Common examples include: Killing Your Darlings - A Writer's Journey Kill Your Darlings

The Art of Letting Go: A Guide to "Kill Your Darlings" "Kill your darlings" is one of the most famous pieces of writing advice in history, serving as a reminder that the best editing often requires the most painful sacrifices. To "kill a darling" means to remove elements—sentences, characters, or entire subplots—that you are personally attached to but that ultimately do not serve the story’s greater purpose. The Origins of the Advice While frequently attributed to William Faulkner or Stephen

Faulkner later popularized a variation, advising writers to "kill all your darlings" to suppress the natural affection that leads to indulgent, flowery prose. What Qualifies as a "Darling"? To "kill a darling" means to remove elements—sentences,