Kill your darlings? Not in the Lord of the Rings; give your darlings several chapters.
Tom Bombadil, a character who appears in a couple of
chapters, then vanishes from the story with no impact, not a mention. At least
three endings to the book, a fourth if you include the epilogue.
The lesson? Ignore convention; go where your imagination takes
you.
I'm not saying the Nifaran Chronicles has multiple endings (it does) or that I have side plots that have no connection to the main story (I don't). Still, writing without a virtual English teacher lurking on your shoulder is liberating.
Kill your darlings, show, don't tell, don't use adverbs after said (he said sarcastically). Rules are for breaking, and risks are for taking.
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