Kill Your Darlings

Do you know who James Clear is? He's the author of Atomic Habits. For those not familiar with the book, Atomic Habits explores the power of tiny habits and how they can lead to remarkable changes over time. It provides actionable strategies for building good habits, breaking bad ones, and leveling up every day by 1%.

Every once in a while, I find a gem in Clear’s newsletter. Here’s this week’s gem:

“Communication is about what is received, not what is intended. If there is a gap between what you are saying and what they are hearing, you have to find a new way to say it."

For writers, consistency is a scary word. Why? Because it means we need to write. The second scariest word for writers belongs to communication. It means we have to speak to editors, collaborators and our readers.

Let’s be honest with each other. We all think our original idea is the best. We will reach out to an editor or another writer and get feedback we don’t like. For second, think about why you got the feedback. They are seeing something we are not. Also, ask let's ourselves how does the edit serve our story. Is what we’re removing important to the character or plot? Let’s kill our darling and move on. Stop over thinking it.

P.S. Check out Cthulhu Invades Fairy Tales now on Kickstarter! My story with Artist Jack Van Thomme is titled, A Tale of Friendship and War.