chapter 5

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#5) Murder your darlings

Sometimes getting words on paper is like getting a sofa through a bathroom window. At other times the words tumble onto the page like eggs rolling off a tipper truck. This mantra is all about treating the latter case with suspicion. Sometimes rhythm, fluidity and a love of words can lead a writer down a very flowery path. Sometimes the messenger can be so entertaining the message gets overlooked. Another way of saying this would be: it's not how you write, it's what you write, that is important. If you've just filled an A4 page in a matter of minutes and you've used some really sexy metaphors, you've put in a couple of gags and a highly entertaining rant about your pet hate and it's just a letter to your bank manager - you might want to reconsider and hit the delete key a bit.

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