Arthur Quiller-Couch the source of the popular writers' adage "murder your darlings". He is mentioned briefly in "The Well of Lost Plots" by Jasper Fforde as one of the few authors with a name beginning with the letter "Q". It is Quiller-Couch who originated the saying "kill your darlings": A collected edition of Q's fiction appeared as "Tales and Romances" (30 volumes, 1928–29). Arthur Quiller-Couch Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a Cornish writer who published using the pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication "The Oxford Book Of English
The Quiller Memorandum following him. Having earlier told Hengel he understands no German, Quiller is revealed to speak it fluently. The man strenuously denies following him, and two other men intervene. Quiller returns to his hotel; outside a porter bumps into Quiller's leg with a heavy suitcase. Though the porter says 'excuse me', Quiller suspects it was intentional. Quiller jumps in his car and drives off, managing to shake Hengel, who sees men in another car following. Quiller notices the other car following him, but is becoming drowsy from a drug that was injected when the porter bumped his leg with the suitcase.