#1397 - Murder your darlings
"Murder your darlings" is quite a weird piece of advice to hear. Yet, unbeknownst to me, it's a popular one given by experienced writers.
It is often wrongly attributed to the writer William Faulkner, but its actual father is most probably the English writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
Obviously, it's not an invitation to harm the people we love and care about.
Instead, it is an invitation to get rid of the unnecessary elements in your writing: storylines, characters, or sentences. And that may not be easy at all because you probably have worked really hard to create them. They are your darlings. Yet, they must be removed for the sake of the overall story you want to tell.
And isn't life a beautiful story you are creating day by day?
So, to make your life the best story possible, you must remove the elements that are getting in the way. And that may include parts you worked so hard to create but no longer serves you and your vision.
To me, it's a great reminder that letting go of something or someone is never easy. Sure, it is necessary to make it beautiful and create room for the new. But it's hard. Particularly when you must let go of something you invested so much into.
It takes courage, indeed, but also compassion.