I thought the 'kill your darlings' advice was just cruel writer talk

I had a whole chapter about my main character's childhood dog that I loved, but it didn't move the plot forward at all. After three beta readers said the same thing, I cut it and the next chapter flowed way better. Has anyone else had a scene they loved that just had to go?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakeb252mo ago

That advice is brutal but it works. Cutting the fluff forces you to focus on what actually matters to the story. It hurts every time but the book is always better for it.

park.robin2mo ago

True but sometimes the fluff is what makes a character feel real. Readers need those little moments to actually care when the big stuff happens.

hollyg591mo ago

Save that dog chapter in a separate document. You can always use bits of it later as flashbacks or character moments. It hurts to cut, but you're right, the story usually moves better without the full scene.