kill one's darlings
To destroy things or characters, particularly in art, of which one is fond, often reluctantly in order to improve one's artistic output.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“To improve your story, you must kill your darlings.”
“I need to kill my darlings to make this short essay clearer.”
“The editor advised the writer to kill her darlings if she wanted the novel to move faster.”
“The director decided to kill his darlings by cutting the expensive action scene because it did not fit the movie's quiet mood.”
“You should kill your darlings and remove that beautiful character if they do not actually help the plot move forward.”
“Despite his deep attachment to the poetic descriptions, the author realized he had to kill his darlings to ensure the narrative remained focused and impactful.”
A piece of advice to prospective authors that they must kill their “darlings”, i.e. suppress overuse of their favorite expressions, tropes, characters, etc. Often attributed to William Faulkner (1897–1962), but already expressed earlier by Arthur Quiller-Couch (murder one's darlings); more recently popularized by Stephen King.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026