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Killing Off a Character



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Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:19 pm
Jules the jester says...



When the plots needs it. like in lotr when boromir is killed off. he is only killed off because he shows a slight amount of evil and because if he was alive in teh last book he would have been the one to take over gondor after his father kills himself
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Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:47 pm
Alicia K. Hudson says...



Personally, I "kill off a character" when the reader may not expect it. For example, in the novel i'm writing Shawn; the main characters older brother, dies of cancer in his leg, sort of like Terry Fox. Shawn is a runner, incase your wondering. Anyways, the reason it's unexpected, is because he's a really important character, and hes gradually getting better, and then it just happens.

Though, I wouldn't just kill off characters at random, i guess it just as to fit into place. It obviously has to make some sence. :)

So, I suppose I've just spoiled me novel, oh well, thats alright.
Thats what I think, anyway.
  





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Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:26 am
Snoink says...



*sobs*

My life is ruined now...

But oh well. Don't kill everyone randomly... otherwise it's too predictable. ;)
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Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:40 am
Elelel says...



Oh yes ... in murder mysteries I think you're allowed to kill people randomly. I feel a bit ripped off if I read one with only one death. I think three is the right number for a murder mystery.

But otherwise I REALLY don't like random deaths in a novel. Like, really. And I don't like it when I feel like the author's only doing it to shock me or something.
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Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:16 am
bubblewrapped says...



I think Character Death's should be handled with extreme subtlety. They should definitely be built up to from the beginning, but at the same time, it shouldnt be in a way that is obvious to the reader. Because when you KNOW he's gonna die, you just cant pay attention to him anymore, you know? So yeah. Deaths should be unexpected, but not random. The reader should be like - WHAT? He's DEAD? I should totally have seen that coming.

As for when? Well. Like El said - when they're supposed to. Deaths should contribute to the story/plot in some way. They should build realism, make an impact, drive the story. It's only when deaths are completely pointless (as far as the story is concerned - chars can still die "pointlessly" but there has to be a point for them to die pointlessly...if you see what I mean) that they really bug me.

Like the Count in The Woman in White. Gawd that annoyed me. LOL.
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Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:01 am
Roaming Shadow says...



Deaths should never be pointless or random. Deaths have to seem real. Sure, people can die by the strangest means, but it's still real. Deaths that occur suddenly, basically excluding diseases, should be able to go either way.

Say you have three characters in a fight to the death against a major, perhaps main, villain. You'd kinda expect all three to survive. But, one dies. So though the heros win and the world is saved, it's still a sad ending for the surviving characters. And the death makes perfect sense, without seeming random. You're likely just as saddened by the loss as the characters.

Okay, I'll correct myself, they can be random. But that has to be very carefully done. You could have a mugging go deadly, sudden predatory animal attack, or an assisin. You'd be hard pressed to get away with a natural lightning strike or a random heart attack.

And again, the death(s) should have some relevance to the story. In a story that involves war, make references to deaths early to establish the severety of the war. Also in such a story, it isn't too hard to believe an important character getting killed. After all, it is a war. Who knows when who's gonna catch a bullet (or laser or whatever)? In most other stories, not including murder mysteries, any death has to make sense and be relevant. If you're trying to kill off a character and no matter how you do it it sounds wrong, you're likely having plot issues. Try to find another way to solve the problem, or back up a bit in the story.

Never kill off a character for shock value alone. Most readers will likely react with something like "What the h***!?". That's most likely the shock you'll get. If it's shocking and it fits the flow of the story, than you're golden. Like, let's say you have some characters in a firefight. Most readers would expect all the main characters to survive, though wounded, right? Well, that's when someone gets fataly shot. It makes sense, you likely don't see it coming, and it likely surprised the reader quite a bit.

And unless you're using a fatal disease, never create a character whose only real purpose in the story is to die. When it happens, and the reader recalls the character, there's a good chance the reader will realize this. With diseases, most do not happen instantly, so the character dying, over time (even if it is short) becomes a viable plot point. Because at that point, the focus is on the dying and not the death. That's okay, in my opinion.

It should also evoke more emotion than shock, as I mentioned before. Exactly what emotion, that's up to you to decide and set up.

Then there's the "you think he's dead but he's really not" plot twists, but I don't think that really fits in this article. But, for a time you believe the character's dead, and the revalation creates all sorts of emotions, depending on the characters and the circumstances. So, well, I think that about covers it. If I think of something more, I'll post it.
"In a fair fight I would have killed you."
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