The fewer ideas you have, the more weight each idea holds in your mind. 

I once asked the great Scott Dikkers about this phenomenon… 

Scott is the founding editor of The Onion, the satirical newspaper. (Years ago, in Chicago, I took a class he was teaching and we’ve been working together since.)

This is what he told me:

“When a writer has only one idea, their soul feels crushed when someone critiques that idea in a way that makes them doubt it,” he said. “They link that idea with their personality and, in turn, take any feedback as a personal slight against them.”

Don’t fall for this. 

It’s a trap, an ego trap. 

Don’t fetishize your only idea, your “darling” idea. It’s counterproductive. And it will keep you from giving The Reader your best.

The antidote is to have many ideas, many options. And the point is to always pick the one that serves The Reader, not yourself.

In other words:

As they say, “Kill your darlings.”

It’s the only way to produce your finest work. 

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Eddie Shleyner
VeryGoodCopy, founder

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