Looking around the room at my Characters, I remember every nuance of their story. It is time to kill your little darlings. That brutally honest moment when a writer faces painful yet necessary decisions to move the story forward. How do you decide which characters or scenes to cut? The editing floor is left like a brutal crime scene, with crumpled paper and red ink splattered across the pages. Crime boards are set up with photos, notes, and timelines. Judge and jury: the self-editor. This is going to be another all-nighter; better put on another pot of coffee and break out the bag of animal crackers. I decided to take a stroll and take notes on my newest characters and story scenes. Things are getting a little out of hand; a lot is going on. 5,665 words have been written: several plot twists, 6 suspects, a poisonous Black Orchid, a deadly expedition, missing pages, and two tired detectives. Just look at them, so guilty and yet so innocent; some got away with their crimes, or did they? Endings are rewritten. Funerals are planned. This hurts me as much as it hurts you.
How do you cope with the emotional turmoil of losing a character or storyline you worked so hard on?
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