Kill Your Darlings

You’ve heard it many times. It’s based on a quote by William Faulkner. But what does it mean? To me, it means that if there is something in your novel you really love, whether it be a line, a scene, or a whole chapter, you are probably wrong about its quality and importance, and should delete it.

If you’re in love with it, take it out.

Why? Because in all probability, you love it because of its “writerly” sound. It’s a great descriptive sentence. It’s an exciting scene or chapter with lots of g...