---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever you feel an impulse to…"
description: "\"Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it - whole-heartedly - and delete it before sending your manuscr..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5b/arthur-quiller-couch-49185_art-of-writing_whenever-you-feel-an-impulse-to-perpetra_3009096.jpg"
---

#  Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of…

![“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it - whole-heartedly - and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.” quote by Arthur Quiller-Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5b/arthur-quiller-couch-49185_art-of-writing_whenever-you-feel-an-impulse-to-perpetra_3009096.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5b/arthur-quiller-couch-49185_art-of-writing_whenever-you-feel-an-impulse-to-perpetra_3009096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5b/arthur-quiller-couch-49185_art-of-writing_whenever-you-feel-an-impulse-to-perpetra_3009096.jpg)

> “Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it - whole-heartedly - and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.”

[Arthur Quiller-Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-quiller-couch/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He advises to reject beautiful but unnecessary prose that may weaken a manuscript.

**In simple terms:** Delete elegant but superfluous writing.

Key Takeaway

Eliminate over‑polished passages.

Themes

editing self‑discipline clarity

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

advice literary

When to use this quote

- draft revision
- academic papers
- novel writing
- blog posts

Key Concepts

literary criticism creative restraint

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you kept a beautiful sentence?
- How does deleting improve impact?

A Different Perspective

Might suppress genuine creativity if applied rigidly.

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