Kill Your Darlings – BMW the Author

A piece of editing advice often given to writers is "Kill your darlings." The feedback we receive from readers is important to identify these sections that don't work. Even if we think it's the greatest bit of prose we've ever written, these "darlings" have to go. If you're lucky, these portions of your story added nothing to the overarching plot and can be easy to write around. However, what happens when the darlings you just killed leave tremendous gaps in your story? Chances are, you've probably written the entire story before you gave it to someone to critique (at least, that's how you should do it). You've likely spent a bit of time figuring out the logic of the plot, ensuring that actions result in your intended consequences. But if a key event in your plot isn't landing correctly and you need to cut it, how do you stitch together what you have? How do you make it so you don't...

Nobody's perfect. As writers, all of us are on journeys to improve our writing. The best way to do so is to have our current writing criticized. Knowing what works and what doesn't is best achieved through the lens of other people—your readers. While we can't please everyone with our writing, we can at least try to take relevant and constructive criticism to make more readers happy. Ultimately, there are two stages of criticism: before you release a book and after you publish this book. Knowing how to handle both is key to improving your writing. Use beta reading criticism to make changes. I've written about the four things I like my beta readers to provide for my drafts, but I'll admit that it stings a little when a trusted source comes back and gives some harsh criticism of my story. Your first reaction might be to get mad. "These beta readers don't understand what I'm trying to do!" you may tell...

Tag: Kill Your Darlings

The “Black Box” Approach to Editing

The Stages of Handling Criticism