Paragraphs of staggering loveliness.

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An excerpt:

     You will sometimes write paragraphs of staggering loveliness. You will! Probably you already have. You'll want to have those paragraphs tattooed on your forehead where everyone will see them.

     Then you'll discover that they don't help tell your story. Do not do not DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT bend your story to accommodate your brilliant words.

     Revising and cutting take courage and self-confidence. You have to believe that you will write equally brilliant prose again. And you will. There's no doubt about it. And some of your new brilliant prose will have to be revised or cut. But some will actually fit your story. Hallelujah!

~ from Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly,

written by Gail Carson Levine

I really like this passage from Ms. Levine's book. I have definitely had to cut words, sentences, and paragraphs that I loved from my writing because they just weren't helping the stories I was trying to tell. It is very hard to cut lines that you feel are well-written, but sometimes it is necessary. As Ms. Levine says, it does require courage and self-confidence to make those cuts. But, in the end, your writing will be even better than it was before!