"Killing your darlings" is a phrase often used in the writing and screenplay industry, as well as in other creative fields, to describe the process of removing or cutting elements from a piece of work, even if you have a strong attachment to them. People who can't let this go usually have too big of an ego.
It's about being willing to edit, revise, and sometimes eliminate those parts that might be personally meaningful or artistically satisfying but do not serve the greater purpose or quality of the work.
This phrase is often attributed to the famous writer and editor Arthur Quiller-Couch, who included it in his 1916 publication, "On the Art of Writing."
The full quote is: "Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it—whole-heartedly—and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings."
The idea behind "killing your darlings" is that by being willing to sacrifice parts of your work that are emotionally or artistically cherished, you can ultimately improve the overall quality of the piece. In screenwriting, this can involve cutting scenes, lines of dialogue, or characters that, while individually captivating, may not contribute effectively to the structure or storytelling of the screenplay.
It's a crucial concept in the editing and revision process, where the primary goal is to enhance the work's coherence and impact.
I have seen people and spoke to Screenwriters in the Writing groups that I have done workshops with, and I had one person who had 250 page screenplay and refused to whittle it down because they refuse to sacrifice. The problem is not always sacrificing but also writing concisely and not overly verbose.
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Great point! Wow 250 pages is some feat! Lol but yes this has to happen. It reminds me of interviews I have heard from managers and producers that it's not only the screenplay they take into consideration but the writer when deciding to take a script further. Can they tell the writer to make adjustments or revise without the writer being pigheaded? This whole writing process is humbling, good for character building
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Nice reminder, Mario Leone! Writing is deeply personal and in some ways self-oriented, while rewriting needs to be selfless to be effective
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I didn't used to like cutting things from my scripts, @Mario Leone, but now, if it needs to go, it's gone! I like to save the things I cut for future scripts.
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I think a good approach is what I call “Writing Recycling.”
You can strip things out. And then sew them back together.
But you can take those recycled pieces and throw them into another document for future projects. Just change the name. Change the setting and so on…
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Screenwriters have no business making a script at 250 pages unless you’re Peter Jackson.
Unless your commission to do so… if you sold 10 Scripts then maybe you have the reputation to pump out great scripts. If so then lots of luck….
As a novice, I truly believe it is breaking standard if you do.
I stick to the rule. 90 to 120.
Not a single page below 90
Not a single page above 120
I’m hard on myself with standards, so I can make sure that I put out quality.
If I’m doing it for independent film and I have an independent Director and they except 85. So be it.
If I’m filming at myself, I can do whatever I want…
Those are the rules I stick to…
Emma McBean
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Great reminder Mario, thank you. It's also a great reminder to let the story go where it needs to, not force it to go somewhere because there are things you hold too dear.
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As a huge cinemaphile, I've endured COUNTLESS "darlings" in many films and often wondered, "Why weren't THOSE darlings killed?"
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@Mario Great points. Another phrase I like which similarly describes thread point is from a lesson with Director John Boorman (Deliverance, Exorcist 2 Heretic, Point Blank, Queen & Country) “CUT OUT THE DROSS!”