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The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. 

So, this quote is often attributed to Gloria Steinem, and while it’s not necessarily a writing-based quote, it still informs the thing that we as writers go through. It goes along with what Stephen King said about writing, “Kill your darlings.” (No, not the movie with Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan.)

And before you get on me for thinking I’m telling you to kill your favorite characters, I’M NOT DOING THAT.

First of all, I’d never advocate for that. That’s not how writing works for me and I’ve got lines I’m happy to draw when it comes to killing the characters I write. What I feel King means is that sometimes, things you may want to include in a story (scenes you love, pieces of dialogue you love, etc.) might just not work. You may love it so much, but you must also look critically at the piece you’re crafting and some things may have to go on the chopping block (like deleted scenes from a movie. And really, books TOTALLY need to jump on the deleted-scenes bandwagon).

And this relates to today’s #MondayMotivation quote, because yeah, realizing that you have to let go of things you love within your story will piss you off. There’s no going around it. You may love, love, LOVE a scene, but if it doesn’t work, then it DOESN’T work.

It may suck, but removing some parts of your story WILL make it better in the long run (and that’s where the set-you-free part comes in).

Remember to write, rewrite, and don’t worry about looking critically at your work. Yes, you are your own biggest critic, but you also are the only person who knows your story best, and if you look at it long enough, close enough, and critically enough, you will see what does and doesn’t work.

Here’s to a productive week of writing (and we’re just about eight days out from NaNoWriMo 2017! Are you going to take the challenge? Check back on Wednesday afternoon for my announcement of what I’m tackling next month).

*#MondayMotivation quote found on my Pinterest Board: Inspirational Quotes About Writing

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