Murder your darlings.
It’s a phrase in publishing that’s often associated with a similar phrase: Torment your darlings.
The first, allegedly, means that you can’t afford to fall too much in love with your own prose. It can be the best thing you’ve ever written, but if it’s not relevant to the scene or doesn’t advance the story, you need to delete it.
The second phrase relates to your characters. They have to go through some sort of negative turning point or problems. They must suffer – physically, emotionally, mentally – sometimes all three.
I’m still working on both the murder and torment of my darlings. Know who has mastered it?
Demon Copperhead is not science fiction, but it is an amazing book. Kingsolver creates characters whose authenticity shines through. You quickly come to love them. When they suffer, you suffer.
As you read this book, prepare to suffer a good deal.
Demon is the protagonist in this book. His real name is Damon, but it doesn’t take long for everyone in rural Lee County, Virginia, to give him his nickname. Copperhead refers to his vivid hair.
Damon/Demon is born to a teenaged single mother who is “an expert in rehab.” They live in a single wide trailer and Demon’s father is out of the picture due to drowning at a place called the Devil’s Bathtub – a spring-fed local swimming hole.
This book deserves its bestseller status. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I won’t spoil anything by telling you that I also appreciated Demon’s taste in reality TV – he and a friend are fans of Survivor.
I finished the novel a few weeks ago and find myself thinking about Demon frequently. You will too.
BTW, Episode 5 of Ash is now on Vella. Check it out here.