Comments on: Why you must murder your darlings

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 20:01:00 +0000

In reply to KSW. Yes, I'm a big fan of Jhumpa Lahiri as well...

By: KSW

KSW — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 18:16:00 +0000

Great and timely post, D. I love this phrase! I credit Faulkner with this wisdom. I try to write/edit using using this suggestion, and in my reading life — I prefer writers that follow this wisdom as well. An example for me is Interpreter of Maladies (Lahiri), a book of short stories; it reads as if it was written almost effortlessly (like you say, like a ballerina), and it reads at a high level (e.g., inclusive of symbolism, cross-cultural dynamics), but not a word more and not a word less should be included.

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:33:00 +0000

In reply to Rebeccaji. Hmm, I agree with your sentiment when you compare Dickens, Eliot et al to most modern writers, but I don't think that has anything to do with "murdering darlings." The "darling" phrases are ones that Dickens would never have permitted!

By: Rebeccaji

Rebeccaji — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:20:00 +0000

I feel sad about this piece of advice always. I edit others’ work and can see plenty of darlings in that which need editing out. But at the same time, I also read modern prose fiction and sob at its boringness in comparison with Dickens, Eliot, Lawrence, Durrell, etc. Those people wrote in convoluted sentences, with complex thoughts and lavish description, and where is the modern equivalent? We are dumbing down when we fail to write up to our readers, and I think we should remember that.