Darling Quote by Maya Forbes
“I've been a writer for a long time but I kind of had to get rid of a lot of the things I learned in Hollywood but I kept some of them too. And things I kept were: don't be precious, kill your darlings is always good, give it dynamics - you don't want it to be all joyful, all sad.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast "The Creative Process", 2022
Balancing artistic integrity with practical storytelling techniques, shedding excess while preserving useful lessons from Hollywood.
In simple terms: Keep useful lessons, discard excess.
Key Takeaway
Apply disciplined editing.
Themes
writing
editing
creativity
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
advice
creative process
When to use this quote
- novel drafting
- screenplay revision
- blog post editing
- marketing copy creation
- personal journaling
Key Concepts
storytelling
Hollywood influence
craft discipline
Questions to Reflect On
- Which habits from your past still serve you?
- How do you decide what to discard?
A Different Perspective
Over‑editing can strip authenticity; balance is needed.
![“Let someone else take a crack at [your story]. Sometimes, even after time has passed, we're just too close to the thing. You don't want to kill your darlings or, maybe it's the opposite: you just want to kill all of it with cleansing fire. Let someone else confirm or veto your feelings. They'll…” quote by Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/626/chuck-wendig-5165_cleansing_let-someone-else-take-a-crack-at-your-st_2228234.jpg)
