Sometimes a writer's darlings are the very things holding their story back.
Every writer has something they’re attached to. It might be a clever metaphor, a striking description, or even an entire subplot that felt brilliant when it first hit the page. Cutting them is painful, but it’s also one of the most important skills a writer can develop.
What “Kill Your Darlings” Really Means
The phrase doesn’t mean you should avoid beauty or creativity. It means no part of your story is sacred if it weakens the whole. Your loyalty has to be to the story itself, not to a line you love or a character you can’t bear to lose.
Killing darlings can happen on every level of writing: word choice, sentence, scene, character, even entire plot lines. It’s about asking, “Does this serve the story?” and being brave enough to cut when the answer is no.
What a Darling Looks Like
A darling might be a whole scene that doesn’t move the story forward. Maybe it’s a witty dinner conversation you loved writing, or a side character whose backstory grew bigger than the plot can hold. If it doesn’t drive the story or reveal something essential, it’s a darling in disguise.
Why Darlings Weaken Stories
- Create bloat. Extra scenes and subplots make stories feel slow and unfocused.
- Stall momentum. Whether it’s a line or a subplot, too much decoration can drag pacing down.
- Shift focus. A clever description or unnecessary character can pull readers’ attention away from what really matters.
- Clash with tone. A joke in the wrong moment, or a flowery tangent in a tense scene, can break immersion.
The issue isn’t beauty itself. The issue is placement and purpose.
How to Spot a Darling
- Notice what you’re reluctant to cut. Attachment is often a warning sign.
- Ask if the piece changes the story. Does the scene move the plot forward or deepen character?
- Check pacing. Does it slow things down when they should speed up?
- Test it out loud. If you love how it sounds but it doesn’t fit, it’s probably a darling.
Strategies for Letting Go
- Keep a darlings file. Copy cut sentences, scenes, or characters into a separate document. You may reuse them in another story.
- Let your story rest. If you leave it for a month or two (or six), it will be easier to spot things you need to cut, and the distance in time will make you less attached to them.
- Get outside eyes. A trusted reader can often spot what you’re too attached to.
- Be willing to cut big. Sometimes it’s not just a line. A subplot, a side character, or even an entire chapter may need to go if it doesn’t serve the larger story.
Why Cutting Makes You Stronger
Learning to cut builds discipline. It forces you to put plot first and shape your story into its best form. The prose gets cleaner. The pacing sharpens. The emotional core shines brighter. And often, when the extra weight is gone, the story you were really trying to tell finally has space to breathe.
The Takeaway
“Killing your darlings” isn’t about destroying the parts you love. It’s about choosing the story over your ego. Sometimes that means cutting a clever line. Other times it means letting go of a character, a subplot, or even an entire chapter. The result is leaner, stronger writing that pulls readers in and keeps them there.
(Want more editing advice? See our post on cutting unnecessary stage directions.)
