An essential step in developing good ideas is discarding bad ones. The writers’ vivid expression “Murder your darlings” suggests that even your favorite ideas should be trashed if they don’t advance your project. You might have meticulously crafted the most inspiring characters, juicy plot lines, and pithy phrases since the Bard of Avon himself, but if they don’t serve the project, you must be willing to let them go.
Determining if an idea is worth developing involves an element of experience. Over time, as you learn the nuances of a particular field, you become more adept at the process of discovery. You discern what works and what doesn’t, refining your ability to identify elements that propel the project forward. Your vocational filter becomes more discerning.
The process begins with naive discovery, followed by mistakes, lessons learned, and then more informed discovery. Over time, mistakes diminish, and advancements grow. A cyclical progression unfolds, elevating the work to higher levels, akin to the double-helix structure of the human genome, the DNA of creation.
Tasks usually take the longest when undertaken for the first time, with the process being new and unfamiliar. Focus is essential, and learning occurs as you progress. Initially, you may need to backtrack, make revisions, deletions, and corrections. This process allows you to discover more efficient methods for future endeavors.
The developer is akin to a child learning to walk, with undeveloped muscles and forming coordination. Yet, as practice and skill accumulate, the process becomes more efficient.
This creative process is not confined to a specific domain; it exists across all realms of learning. Writers cultivate an intuition for how different plot elements can advance their story. Actors develop a sense for various manners of speech and personality traits, infusing their characters with depth. Mechanics learn tricks for removing a seized bolt from an engine, avoiding past techniques that resulted in busted knuckles. Tailors learn the optimal way to pin fabric for smooth and symmetrical stitches. Creators in every field rely on cumulative skill, honing their understanding through trial and error.
Mistakes are costly. Investing significant time in developing an idea, only to realize it doesn’t fit your work, can be disheartening. However, the experience gained from mistakes helps develop intuition to avoid errors in the future. Just as burning your hand on a hot iron prompts greater caution, the more mistakes you make, the more you’ll avoid on the next attempt.
People successful in their fields often express a sentiment like, “If I have achieved more than others, it’s because I have failed more than others.”
In the business world, the term “Fail fast” is frequently heard, emphasizing the need to minimize the time spent on realizing if something isn’t working and then swiftly moving on. Mistakes are inevitable; the key is to take steps to ensure they are as inexpensive as possible.
Whether you call it inventor’s intuition, artist’s intuition, entrepreneur’s intuition, or creator’s intuition, it develops from the same sequence in every domain. The nest of creation is woven with trial and error.
The expression “murder your darlings” delivers a not-so-subtle lesson. It teaches that when you create something, you are not ultimately serving yourself; rather, you are serving the creation. It’s not about you; it’s about the work. The goal is to create the strongest work possible and release it to the world so that it can stand on its own without you. If done well, the work you create can take on a life of its own.