Skip to main content

Kill Your Darlings

Hello All,
It has been too long since my last post.  Now, that school is out and the children are settled in, I actually have some time to myself.  Not as much as I would like, but enough to get some writing in.  Since I'm on the subject, I had a huge awakening at my writer's group last month. 

As many of you know, I have polished the first chapter of my novel until it shines. It stands to reason that all of the group members liked the pacing and thought it gripped them enough to read on.  As I sat there basking in my elation, they dropped the bomb about  the raw draft of chapter two.  Many of the members did not form an attachment to my M.C.  They said she seemed bitter and  lacked emotion. I thought, okay, I can work on this, tweek her here and there and voila! I will have a more loveable character.

However, the critique did not end with my M.C.  Group members went on to comment about a second character in the chapter.  A lawyer with the personality of a used car salesman named Preston drops by Soledad's (my M.C) home with a mysterious package.  Her recently deceased father had instructed the lawyer to deliver it two months after his death.  Preston does not show up anywhere else in the novel.  He is merely a conduit to get the package to Soledad as well as a mechanism to build tension.

A couple of the members of my writer's group suggested I get rid of him if he doesn't have a role in the rest of the book. In fact, one person reminded me of Faulkner's advice to "Kill your darlings."  This means authors may find areas or characters which they are attached to and consequently, are unable to judge them.  The underlying question I have is when should this theory apply?  I really like the lawyer and spent a lot of time developing him.  Although there are other ways to get the package to Soledad, I think Preston adds a bit of humor to the scene.   Do you agree that a character should not be introduced unless he/she will be included somewhere else in the novel?   Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.  In other words, please, let me know what you think.  Until next time, happy writing.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Never Fail Until You Stop Trying

Back in December, I learned about an unpublished novel contest that assessed the following criteria: characterization, setting, plot, dialogue, voice and writing skill.  In addition to all this, the MS would receive feedback from the judges. Not a bad deal, right?  Although my draft was far from complete, I decided to enter it anyway, reasoning that the critique would identify areas of weakness in my writing.  Well, needless to say, I finally heard back last week.  The first forty pages of my draft were returned with the following letter attached:   The judges had mixed reactions to this particular manuscript, with some feeling it was well-    paced and  another saying there was not enough plot movement! One questioned whether the dialogue fit the time/  year/culture, while others felt it did. They all agreed on liking the expository details and descriptions, but   wondered where the story was going.  Consider beginnin...

Insecure Writer's Support Group- Are you a Negative Nelly???

I t's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.  I am always amazed at how easily I can list the things I'm insecure about, but ask me to add something positive, and I'm at a loss for words.  No matter how much I accomplish, I never stop to enjoy the spoils of my hard work. Instead, I tend to focus on the obstacles I've yet to overcome.  After giving this some thought, I concluded that I am a Negative Nelly. For some reason, which is beyond me, I find that it's often easier to see the bad, than to acknowledge the good.  For example, if my son brings home a B on a test, I say, "Next time, lets try for an A."  Wouldn't it be better to acknowledge his effort, and be happy it wasn't a "C"?  If another writer praises my work-in-progress, I immediately think they didn't read it.  Wouldn't it be better to say thank you and enjoy the compliment?  Life's too short to look down on ourselves. How can we e...

Writing Through Burn Out

I'm suffering from a bad case of Spring Fever, folks.  I only have seven more chapters left to conclude my novel, but for the life of me can't muster up the inspiration to write them.  With such beautiful weather, my attention and energy has been devoted to gardening and biking.  I haven't written in at least three weeks.  Every time I walk into the office my computer sits there, staring at me accusingly, bidding me to finish what I started three years ago.  My responsible side wants to comply, but the  more carefree side, won't allow it.  Perhaps I'm suffering from burn out, I don't know, but whatever the case, it doesn't seem like this phase is going to pass anytime soon.  Professionals like Stephen king and Truman Capote recommend that authors write every day.  Although I've never agreed with this approach, after all my down time I am rethinking it.  In the past, whenever I tried to write without being inspired, I turned...