…someone else’s words, namely Stephen King’s 20 quotes on writing.
I will add that I have used a thesaurus while writing and I haven’t killed all my darlings. I have learned the hard way that not all characters’ backstories are interesting. A harder lesson is that, while they may be interesting, if they detract from the story you’re trying to tell by derailing the main plot or swamping your protag, they have to go. Just because you have been distracted from your protag’s story does not mean your protag’s story isn’t interesting. It may just mean that you rambled too deep into the story weeds and lost your way. Story weeds are very easy to get lost in. They flower and grow quickly and seem very strong, but in the end, like real weeds, they push out everything else and make the yard a mess. And I think I will place a period at the end of this before weeds.