So, yes, I am always on the lookout for good writing advice. "Good" is something that rings new/true/interesting to me. But some writing advice hasn't ever worked for me. 1/4

"If you can stop writing, you should." Not everyone is built for obsessive focus. I give up writing at least once a year. Have been doing that for oh, two/three decades. It's refreshing and freeing, and I still write several books and stories a year. 2/4

"Kill your darlings" I don't kill my darlings. I question them. Why is darling needed? How does darling carry emotion/plot/tension forward? Sometimes the "darling" should be cut. Sometimes the darling IS the magic you're looking for. 3/4

Writing advice can be awesome. It can be useful. It can be the thing that sparks discovery. But a writer's goal is to create amazing STORY readers can't put down. If a piece of advice gets in the way of that? Gently turn away and write on. 4/4