Kill your darlings.
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Editing: writer's bane and blessing.
It's easy to fall in love with my words...after all, I dreamed the dream and then crafted the tale. They're my words, used to make the dream visible to others...I'd better love 'em!
Problem: more ain't always better..."But, let me make myself perfectly clear by adding that there are times when a judicious word here or there actually renders greater clarity..."
Hah! The author's patron saint
William Faulkner is credited with the quote, "In writing, you must kill all your darlings."
[An even better ppgh: By that he means, get rid of no-longer-useful characters as well as extra words or pretty phrases. Ruthlessly.]
Now, I
Not that every writer can or should be Hemingway: "Nick entered the woods. The day was warm. It was good."
That said--may Hemingway's spirit live on. Faulkner deserves highest grades for creativity, local color, and characters...but his editing? far from such a high grade.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, write (paint, sculpt, sing, invent, create) a lot. Days or weeks later, delete all the crap and fluff. If you have anything left at all--huzzah!
Ah, good point. The critical part of our mind needs time to sift, filter, and assess. Going into editorial mode too quickly, we're more likely to mount a defensive action: "Nah, that's a good phrase, it builds the tension...not bad. I like it."
A week or two later, one might be able to say, "Wordy. Prune it a bit and rewrite. No--actually, just lop it right off."
Sorta like pruning a vine or fruit tree--if in doubt, cut it out.
In sum:
--creative, brilliant, insightful writing is half the battle;
--decisive, cold, and bold editing...that's the other, winning half of the battle!
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All that glitters is not gold.
(Wm. Shkspr. The Merchant of Venice.)
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I would appreciate and might even enjoy your dialogue!