How Writers Channel Their Anger into Their Work
Get angry about something important, then write about it!
Mr Nosky was my art professor. One day, I asked him what he meant when he kept repeating how important it is to eliminate the sentimental from your work.
He came over to my charcoal drawing, and asked me a question, “What use is that beautiful sweeping line amongst the folds of that dress?”
I replied that it looked beautiful, and added to the interest in the drawing.
He agreed that the charcoal line that represented the taut edge of drapes falling around the model’s foot, did look lovely, but that it was meaningless, sentimental, and had absolutely no function to the ‘whole’.
The beautiful line of dark dust created its own beautiful moment, and detracted from the whole drawing — enough to ruin the whole thing.
That was my first lesson in “kill your darlings”.
In writing we are strongly advised to eradicate, ruthlessly, any pretty writing that we love so much, it will distract from the rest.
It’s true of all art.
Now, is the darling sentence the most important element, or do you have something more important to say?
