Let your first draft rest (minimum: six weeks).

[CathyWeeks]

SK was referring to editing as "kill your darlings." Those were the things you thought were brilliant pieces of writing, but have to edit out.

Oh, sure. Receiving constructive criticism, and editing out characters and/or other chunks of writing that you are enamored with feels very similar.

 

[Aaron Lewis]

SK was referring to editing as "kill your darlings." Those were the things you thought were brilliant pieces of writing, but have to edit out.

I agree with this view of editing...to a point. I've often heard of writers say they can't stand the editing process because it's like killing one of your children. I'd like to offer a slightly different perspective. While thinking of your work as "one of your children", consider that your children need to be cleaned up. They get bathed, hair cuts, trimmed nails, new clothes, etc. You're not killing them, just making them presentable.

 

[mal]

Whether the story is long or short it has to rest for exactly 6 weeks and everyone should do this in exactly the same way.