Comments on: Don’t Kill Your Darlings, Set Them Free

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 19:09:22 +0000

Great post! I completely agree, it’s much easier to let your darlings go if you know you can keep them for a rainy day 🙂

By: Elaine Moxon

Elaine Moxon — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 16:32:55 +0000

Fabulous piece Jen! I never ‘kill’ my darlings completely either. I may kill an idea for the current story, but I hate throwing creativity away. So it’s all kept for other projects, awaiting that perfect, magical moment of resurrection!

By: Monica Starkman

Monica Starkman — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 13:32:30 +0000

What an insightful and wonderful article. As a psychiatrist/novelist, I really appreciate what you’ve discovered and share here. I, too, learned that the subconscious is working and making links for us. For example, when I was working on my now-published novel The End of Miracles, I had to attend to my full-time work as a psychiatrist in academia. So sometimes, when I was actively writing a particular chapter, I’d say to myself in the morning: OK, brain, I have to go to work now, but you work on this chapter in the meantime. And sure enough, many evenings when I sat down for a bit to write, just the right paragraphs came very easily and almost full-formed. Another note: my novel also has a false pregnancy central to it! I will be looking up your book next. Monica

By: Davey

Davey — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 12:55:46 +0000

I, too, enjoyed the piece, as it was informative, interesting and, believe it or not, something I had never actually considered, nor practiced, beforehand, even though, I must admit, it makes perfect sense, now that I see it in writing.

By: Alison Morton

Alison Morton — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 06:04:57 +0000

Yes! Reworking your darlings is a much better idea. That sentence that didn’t quite fit the mood, tone or action of one scene is still a good sentence and can find a home in another as can that slightly strange plot turn of quirky character. Nice piece – thank you.