Limitations of 'Kill Your Darlings' Advice (Creative Writing Hacks)

Discover the surprising limitations of the popular ‘Kill Your Darlings’ advice for creative writing hacks in this eye-opening post.

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Identify personal attachment bias	Writers often become attached to certain characters, plot points, or scenes that they have created. This attachment can make it difficult to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of these elements in the story.	Personal Attachment Bias
2	Evaluate potential creative stagnation risk	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to a lack of creativity and originality in the story.	Creative Stagnation Risk
3	Consider the risk of incomplete storylines abandoned	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to incomplete storylines that leave readers feeling unsatisfied.	Incomplete Storylines Abandoned
4	Assess the risk of neglected character development	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to neglecting the development of important characters in the story.	Character Development Neglected
5	Evaluate the risk of rushed endings syndrome	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to rushed endings that leave readers feeling unsatisfied.	Rushed Endings Syndrome
6	Consider the risk of plot holes ignored	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to plot holes that leave readers confused or frustrated.	Plot Holes Ignored
7	Assess the risk of stereotypical tropes used	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to the use of stereotypical tropes that can make the story feel unoriginal or cliche.	Stereotypical Tropes Used
8	Evaluate the risk of unbalanced narrative focus	Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to an unbalanced narrative focus that can make the story feel disjointed or confusing.	Unbalanced Narrative Focus

The "Kill Your Darlings" advice is a popular creative writing hack that suggests removing elements from a story that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective. While this advice can be helpful in improving the overall quality of a story, it is important to consider the potential limitations and risks associated with this approach.

One risk factor to consider is personal attachment bias. Writers often become attached to certain characters, plot points, or scenes that they have created. This attachment can make it difficult to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of these elements in the story.

Another risk factor is the potential for creative stagnation. Removing elements that are deemed unnecessary or ineffective can lead to a lack of creativity and originality in the story. This can result in a story that feels formulaic or uninteresting.

Additionally, removing elements can lead to incomplete storylines that leave readers feeling unsatisfied. Neglecting the development of important characters in the story can also leave readers feeling disconnected from the story.

Rushed endings, plot holes, and the use of stereotypical tropes are also potential risks associated with the "Kill Your Darlings" approach. Finally, an unbalanced narrative focus can make the story feel disjointed or confusing.

In conclusion, while the "Kill Your Darlings" advice can be a helpful tool for improving the quality of a story, it is important to consider the potential limitations and risks associated with this approach. By evaluating these risk factors, writers can make informed decisions about which elements to remove and which to keep in order to create a compelling and satisfying story.

Contents

How does Personal Attachment Bias affect the effectiveness of “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?
How can Lack of Originality be a limitation to implementing “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?
Why is Neglected Character Development a potential drawback to following “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?
How do Plot Holes Ignored undermine the effectiveness of applying “Kill Your Darlings” advice to one’s work as a writer?
How might Unbalanced Narrative Focus pose challenges for writers attempting to implement strategies like “Killing Their Darlings”?
Common Mistakes And Misconceptions

How does Personal Attachment Bias affect the effectiveness of “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Recognize personal attachment bias	Personal attachment bias can manifest in various ways, such as difficulty in letting go, resistance to change, and fear of losing creativity.	Lack of self-awareness can prevent writers from recognizing their personal attachment bias, leading to ineffective editing.
2	Identify areas of attachment	Writers should identify areas where they may be over-identifying with characters, unable to see flaws, or blind to weaknesses.	Ignoring areas of attachment can lead to preserving personal style at the expense of the story’s effectiveness.
3	Consider audience perspective	Writers should consider the audience‘s perspective and how their attachment may affect the reader’s experience.	Disregarding the audience’s perspective can lead to a lack of objectivity in editing and an insistence on perfectionism.
4	Embrace constructive criticism	Writers should embrace constructive criticism and use it to identify areas where they may be refusing to cut content or preserve original ideas.	Ignoring constructive criticism can lead to a reluctance to edit work and a disregard for the audience’s perspective.
5	Prioritize the story’s effectiveness	Writers should prioritize the story’s effectiveness over their personal attachment to certain elements.	Prioritizing personal attachment over the story’s effectiveness can lead to a lack of objectivity in editing and a reluctance to cut content.

How can Lack of Originality be a limitation to implementing “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Identify potential "darlings" in your writing	"Darlings" are elements of your writing that you are particularly attached to and may be reluctant to cut	Self-censorship, fear of criticism
2	Evaluate the originality of these elements	Consider whether these elements are overused tropes, cliches, stereotypes, or formulaic storytelling	Lack of experimentation, risk-taking
3	Assess the impact of removing these elements	Determine whether removing these elements would improve the overall quality and authenticity of your writing	Lack of unique voice, authenticity, and creative expression
4	Consider alternative ways to achieve the same effect	Explore other ways to convey the same message or emotion without relying on these overused elements	Lack of creativity, innovation
5	Decide whether to keep or cut the "darlings"	Make a decision based on the evaluation of originality and impact	Risk of sacrificing originality for the sake of following advice, potential loss of personal attachment to the writing
6	Revise and edit accordingly	Make necessary changes to improve the overall quality and authenticity of the writing	None identified

The lack of originality can be a limitation to implementing "Kill Your Darlings" advice in creative writing because it can be difficult to identify and remove overused tropes, cliches, stereotypes, and formulaic storytelling without sacrificing originality and creativity. This can lead to a fear of experimentation and risk-taking, which can result in a lack of unique voice and authenticity in the writing. To overcome this limitation, writers should evaluate the originality of their "darlings" and assess the impact of removing them. They should also consider alternative ways to achieve the same effect and make a decision based on the evaluation of originality and impact. Finally, they should revise and edit accordingly to improve the overall quality and authenticity of the writing.

Why is Neglected Character Development a potential drawback to following “Kill Your Darlings” advice in creative writing?

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Understand the "Kill Your Darlings" advice in creative writing	The advice suggests that writers should be willing to cut out any parts of their writing that do not serve the overall story or message, even if they are attached to those parts.	This advice can be helpful in improving the overall quality of the writing, but it can also lead to potential drawbacks if not executed properly.
2	Recognize the importance of character development in writing	Character development is crucial for creating narrative consistency, emotional depth, and reader engagement. It involves creating character arcs, motivations, backstories, and authentic personalities.	Neglecting character development can result in flat characters, stereotypes, and lack of believability in plotlines.
3	Understand the risks of neglecting character development while following the "Kill Your Darlings" advice	Neglecting character development can lead to characters that are not fully realized, lack emotional depth, and do not engage readers. It can also result in plot holes and lack of authenticity in the story.	The writer‘s attachment to certain characters or plotlines can make it difficult to cut them out, even if they do not serve the overall story. Taking creative risks can also be challenging when trying to balance character development with the "Kill Your Darlings" advice.
4	Find a balance between the "Kill Your Darlings" advice and character development	Writers should be willing to take creative risks and cut out parts of their writing that do not serve the overall story, but they should also prioritize character development to create engaging and believable characters.	Finding a balance between the two can be challenging, but it is crucial for creating a well-rounded and compelling story. Writers should also be willing to revise and edit their work to ensure that all elements of the story are working together effectively.

How do Plot Holes Ignored undermine the effectiveness of applying “Kill Your Darlings” advice to one’s work as a writer?

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Identify plot holes in your work	Plot holes can undermine narrative coherence and reader engagement	Ignoring plot holes can lead to internal logic flaws, contradictions in plotline, and unrealistic character actions
2	Determine the impact of plot holes on story structure	Plot holes can weaken plot points, create unresolved storylines, and result in poor pacing choices	Ignoring plot holes can lead to disjointed storytelling techniques and underdeveloped subplots
3	Apply "Kill Your Darlings" advice to address plot holes	Cutting out unnecessary elements can improve internal logic and continuity	However, cutting out important elements to address plot holes can result in unresolved storylines and weak plot points
4	Ensure that plot holes are addressed without sacrificing important elements	Addressing plot holes can improve suspension of disbelief and reader engagement	However, sacrificing important elements can result in underdeveloped subplots and unrealistic character actions
5	Continuously revise and edit to ensure plot holes are addressed	Addressing plot holes can improve narrative coherence and story structure	However, ignoring plot holes can undermine the effectiveness of applying "Kill Your Darlings" advice to one’s work as a writer

How might Unbalanced Narrative Focus pose challenges for writers attempting to implement strategies like “Killing Their Darlings”?

Step	Action	Novel Insight	Risk Factors
1	Identify areas of unbalanced narrative focus	Unbalanced narrative focus can occur when a writer becomes too attached to certain elements of their story, such as a particular character or subplot, and neglects other important aspects.	Focusing too much on one aspect of the story can lead to a lack of depth in other areas, resulting in an unbalanced narrative.
2	Determine which elements to cut or revise	In order to address unbalanced narrative focus, a writer may need to "kill their darlings" by cutting or revising elements that are not serving the story as a whole. This may include subplots, characters, or scenes that are not contributing to the overall narrative.	Cutting beloved elements of a story can be emotionally difficult for a writer, and may require a willingness to let go of attachments to certain ideas or characters.
3	Consider potential risks to the story’s coherence	While cutting or revising elements may help to address unbalanced narrative focus, it can also introduce new risks to the story’s coherence. For example, cutting a subplot may leave certain themes or character motivations unresolved, or revising a character’s arc may result in inconsistencies in their behavior.	It is important for a writer to carefully consider the potential risks of cutting or revising elements, and to make sure that any changes they make are in service of the story as a whole.
4	Address potential issues with character depth and development	Unbalanced narrative focus can lead to issues with character depth and development, such as underdeveloped supporting cast or contradictory character motivations. To address these issues, a writer may need to revise or cut certain characters or subplots, or spend more time developing certain aspects of the story.	Addressing issues with character depth and development can be time-consuming and require a significant amount of revision, but is crucial for creating a cohesive and engaging narrative.
5	Ensure consistent pacing and structure	Unbalanced narrative focus can also lead to inconsistent pacing and structure, such as excessive exposition dumping or repetitive narrative patterns. To address these issues, a writer may need to revise or cut certain scenes or dialogue, or restructure the story to create a more cohesive narrative arc.	Ensuring consistent pacing and structure can be challenging, as it requires a deep understanding of the story’s themes and narrative arc, as well as a willingness to make significant changes to the story as needed.
6	Pay attention to world-building and emotional resonance	Unbalanced narrative focus can also result in inadequate world-building details or a lack of emotional resonance. To address these issues, a writer may need to revise or cut certain scenes or dialogue, or spend more time developing the world-building or emotional aspects of the story.	Paying attention to world-building and emotional resonance is crucial for creating a rich and immersive narrative, but can be challenging to balance with other aspects of the story.
7	Avoid incoherent tone shifts	Unbalanced narrative focus can also lead to incoherent tone shifts, such as sudden shifts from comedic to dramatic or vice versa. To address these issues, a writer may need to revise or cut certain scenes or dialogue, or restructure the story to create a more consistent tone throughout.	Avoiding incoherent tone shifts is important for creating a cohesive and engaging narrative, but can be challenging to balance with other aspects of the story.

Common Mistakes And Misconceptions

Mistake/Misconception	Correct Viewpoint
"Kill Your Darlings" means you should delete everything that you love about your writing.	The advice actually means to be willing to cut out any parts of your writing that don’t serve the story or distract from it, even if they are personally meaningful to you as the writer. It’s not about deleting everything you love, but rather being objective and critical in evaluating what is necessary for the story.
Following this advice will make my writing better automatically.	While cutting unnecessary elements can improve a piece of writing, it’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving creative work. This advice may not always apply or be helpful in every situation, and writers should use their own judgement when deciding what changes need to be made.
I have to follow this advice all the time in order to be a good writer.	Again, while this can be useful guidance at times, it’s not an absolute rule that must always be followed without exception. There may be instances where keeping certain elements despite them being "darlings" could actually enhance the overall quality of a piece of writing – ultimately, it depends on each individual case and requires careful consideration by the writer themselves.
Cutting out beloved parts of my work will make me feel like I’m losing something valuable or special.	It’s understandable for writers to feel attached emotionally invested in their work; however, learning how and when to let go is part of developing as a writer who prioritizes storytelling over personal attachment.. Remembering why we write (to communicate with readers) helps us focus on serving our audience instead ourselves alone.

Limitations of ‘Kill Your Darlings’ Advice (Creative Writing Hacks)