“Kill your darlings,” Barels said. “One of the hardest lessons for me as a new writer was coming to terms with this. Basically, after writing a piece, it's not uncommon to have to change or completely eliminate some of your favorite characters or plot scenes. He continued, “If there's something really special in your heart, you might want to consider cutting it out. The points and messages that are so important to us as story writers are often the first points an editor will tell you to delete. “Be brave with your voice. As a writer, not being afraid will serve you well. Lilly credits writer Kim Addonizio with being the poet who gave her permission to have a voice. “If Kim could write about what she was writing about, I could too.” What we are afraid to say may be exactly what it needs to be