Your Story, A Shared Journey

From blank page to book-in-hand, we’re there for every word.

Ignite Your Creativity. Shop Now.

Kill Your Darlings

For us, it’s more than an edict on judicious revision; it’s having the courage to face one’s fears, to, as Ray Bradbury once wrote, let the world burn through you, to throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.

None of which, of course, is easy to do.

That’s why Kill Your Darlings Candle Company is there for writers at every step of their creative journey.

Our candles cast light that celebrates, commiserates, encourages, and inspires, because in a vocation rife with fear and self-doubt, it’s dangerous to go alone.

Jars Recycled to Date: 16
Funds Raised for Bookish Beneficiaries: $252.51

Illuminate your path to the page.
*10% discount on signature candles only, with 10% donations available to the Madison Public Library Foundation, the Wisconsin Library Association, and Room to Read when you choose them at checkout.

Who We Are

Sustainability. Community. Creativity.

We live these principles at every stage of the candle making process.

They’re not just what we do; they’re who we are.

SUSTAINABILITY

From wax to wick to box and beyond, sustainability is the centerpiece of our operations. Our candles are soy, our wicks, cotton—both of which are renewable resources. What’s more, our packaging is 100% post-consumer and biodegradable.

Sustainability: it’s more than hugging trees.

COMMUNITY

You need not write alone. Let Kill Your Darlings kindle your creativity and cultivate a sense of community as you write, revise, and ruminate. This, plus our dedication to libraries, literacy organizations, independent bookstores, progress-minded presses, and writing guilds are just two of the ways we embody community mindfulness.

Community: the world burns through us.

CREATIVITY

With our rotating family of scents and the writerly wit that accompanies them, creativity is the cornerstone of our candlecraft. At Kill Your Darlings Candle Company, we venture to cast light into corners once thought lost to darkness.

Creativity: dream the undreamable.

Meet the team behind Kill Your Darlings Candle Company.

Shine sustainably. Together. Creatively.

Wax poetic with us.

What We Do

Our mission is to sustainably illuminate the lives of writers, readers, and their communities.

We also, yes, make candles.

Though they may feel secondary to our mission, every one of our candles is hand-poured with heart right in our home, and we send them, along with the sense of community they imbue, directly to your door.

It’s wonderful, really, to think what one creates in the quiet moments can have such an impact on a room, on a person, on a life.

But you’re a writer. That’s a feeling you’re already familiar with; you gift it to others with every word you share.

Now’s the time to gift yourself that feeling, too.

Shining Bright

LOVE these candles. They burn nice and even, and the wicks stay in great shape. 10/10!

Jordan

Heavenly… romantic and dreamy and the perfect scent for a fairy tale ending.

Avery

Lovelovelove… burns with a clear, steady flame and set the mood better than I’d hoped it would.

Celina

Really pleasant! The scents are strong enough to be present without becoming overwhelming.

Mary Anne

… a scrumptious treat for the senses. So grateful for KYD Candle Co.!

Russell

These candles burn really well and the mix of scents is 🙌! I really like them.

Karen

I was nervous about purchasing a candle online, [but] this candle smells AMAZING… a fantastic blend.

Michelle

Rage against the dying of the light.

Shine on.

Why We Do It

We’re grateful to share our craft with you.

Our Story

Lacey loves handicraft. Ryan loves the writing community.

It was only a matter of time before the two aligned.

In late 2019, Lacey took to candle making. Ryan, impressed as always with her work, knew the first candle she made, once perfected, would enchant many of the countless writers in his circles.

And so, with origins in a common cause and a desire to share this bit of ourselves with the world, Kill Your Darlings Candle Company was born.

Because gifts are meant to be shared.

Your Story

As a reader and a writer, you’re already familiar with the power of sharing.

That power motivates us to do the same with our candlecraft.

Our shared story is just beginning.

Let’s share our light with the world.