 Horror/Scary: August 25, 2010 Issue [#3927] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Kill Your Darlings Edited by: W.D.Wilcox  
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Kill Your Darlings
I was struck by these words when I read them in the September issue of Writer's Digest. To me, there can be nothing as horrifying as killing something you love, but as I read on I realized what the author meant, and I'd like to share it with you....
To fine-tune your prose and kill your darlings-those bits of work you're so blindly in love with that you can't recognize when they bog down or misdirect the story-you must eschew love in favor of a ruthlessness that could make you a prospective bride on "The Bachelor". Address the page as if you are your own worst date. Easily bored, you pick away at perceived flaws and shortcomings. You find anecdotes and pointless witty banter tiresome. Precious wisdom makes you run. You find yourself being wary of everything, asking, "Does this really need to be here?"-because you know every scene, character and word is crucial.
But how do you really know which darlings should be killed? First, get some distance. Put your manuscript away for a few weeks so you can come to it with fresh eyes. When you begin to edit, read every word aloud, slowly-it will give you focus. I find that it also helps to think of your work as a producer thinks of a film. Words are like money. Spend them wisely. Each scene and actor is expensive, and so you must include only what you really need to tell your tale. And if you find yourself saying, "But I love this idea!" that should be the first thing to become suspect.
After all, everybody knows, including those hapless TV bachelors, love hurts.
Who came up with the idea of killing your "darlings"? It appears to have been William Faulkner, or Mark Twain. No one seems to know for sure, but I say, Who cares? They're all dead. The pressure probably killed them.
The approach to editing is the most dangerous tool in your repertoire. We write for the beauty of the well-turned phrase and the surprise of unexpected wisdom. So why "kill" these darlings? True, every word counts, but fiction is a journey. Your reader has his bags packed and ready to go. Give him an adventure.
How do you strike a balance between economy and beauty? Practice. Imagine you're telling a story to someone you've just met at a cocktail party. Think about what would interest them-not you.
Rather than killing your darlings, hide them in well-marked files. You may use them later.
-N.M.Kelby
Now I am the first to point a finger at myself *points finger at self* for using too much prose. I blame it on Dean Koontz, who consistently starts every other chapter with comparing the weather to some ominous being from the nether-world, or describing it as a vital character to the main plot of the story.
It's just the weather.
It's not a dark and stormy night, but it sure as hell ain't the end of the world either.
Don't get me wrong, prose is good and makes for enjoyable reading, but you gotta ask yourself, Does it help tell the story?
After reading this little article I have become a bigger critic of what should live or die in my stories (characters not withstanding). And it has helped me. I am developing a thicker skin. Besides, if you don't edit with a vengeance, someone else will, and it could be the difference between getting the book deal or not.
Until next time,
billwilcox
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PICKS or PICK APARTS
My picks this month are for you to rip apart. The authors I have chosen are all good friends of mine and seasoned writers with thick skin. The stories presented below have seen little air-time and as such, have also seen very few reviews. Hell, these guys have probably even forgotten they've written them. Nevertheless, you can review them, offer your opinions, and try to help the stories become better. Or you can take this excercise a bit further and gut one of your own tales. But personally, it is better to hack at someone else's stories because you are seeing them with new eyes and sometimes we are all just too close to our own stuff. The point being is to be ruthless in your editing and cut and slash anything that doesn't help further the storyline.
That being said, as always, be kind and polite in your reviews, and offer honest critics.
The first story on the chopping block is one of mine. I have written and rewritten this darling for years. I have tried different POV's; told the story from different character perspectives; changed the heros and even tried using several different endings. All told, I love this story. I believe it has something special, something worth sharing. If you have time, help me with it, and you shall be generously rewarded.
Now this little English ditty has great potential because it has all the elements of a 'Sleepy Hollow' or a 'Salem's Lot', but it is chuck-full of breaks and feels disorganized. I believe it could be extremely horrifying, but it is not. Why? Maybe you can help.
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This story is downright creepy because it deals psychologically with a woman's refusal to notice her own tendency toward child abuse. It has two endings. Which one would you choose?
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#759077 by Not Available. |
This dark tale has some really good parts, but on the whole is lacking in something. Can you tell what that is? Can you fix it?
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#1447143 by Not Available. |
This is a very clever story (as is usual with this author) about predators and prey. It has not been well-read, which is one of the reasons I've chosen it. To me, the problem is that the author devides the story into two different parts when it should only be one. Can you explain how that could be done?
This tale of infinite hunger is an honest attempt at writing on a over-used topic, but it is masterfully done. I did notice a few holes in the storyline. Can you find them?
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DEAD LETTERS
LJPC - the tortoise 
Comment:
Hi Bill!
Thanks for the newsletter-glimpse into your mind. I guess everyone has different ways they get inspiration. I think it's interesting that you write about what scares you. Very little scares me in real life. I write horror because there are many wicked pointy things inside me that like to come out -- they spill across the page like caltrops, waiting to stab the unsuspecting reader.
Thanks for the enjoyable newsletter. - Laura
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schipperke
Comment:
Horror writers remind me a little of how Lady GaGa gets inspiration on her outfits....(nice to read you again, Bill)
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kunals89
Comment:
I don't like horror stories as they are so out of order. I m the one who likes some mystery novels as they are based on a method or some pattern, which, if we follow in our real life, can be very helpful.
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful 
Comment:
I must say this, while I enjoy getting my heart set to do some thumping, I can't create my "monsters"to be blood-thirsty things. However, I do put them in scary situations, like say trying to rescure their friends and family from truelly evil monsters.
"Monster stuff"
Adriana Noir
Comment:
 I love how your mind works, Bill. You're very right, even the most innocent of things can take on a terrifying connotation when viewed with a hint of fear. Just observe any child...they will tell you the same thing! Great NL, as always and thanks for featuring "Philomena!"
"A MidSummer Night's Scream"
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