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Should I kill this character?



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Sat May 09, 2015 10:16 pm
Yuna229 says...



I'm writing a story and I want a few people to die, but I can't decide which ones. Should I kill the man who has been, ever since he had been introduced in the story, always there for the character and is also the foster father of the main character's best friend? Or should I kill his big and quiet friend? Should I kill the guy that makes an introduction speech for every newcomer to the organization of my story and doesn't actually change anything in the story or just rip off his arm? And, more importantly, should I kill the MC's best friend and future girlfriend? If I should kill any of these characters or more, how should I do it? How would the main character react if someone very close to him died, for instance his father?
Thanks for the answers!
  





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Sat May 09, 2015 11:50 pm
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ChiravianSkies says...



First, you have to think about who this killer is. What ties does he/she have with any of these characters? Is it against the Main Character? Then maybe have a failed attempt to kill the main character and then realize that he would be worse off with a dead father/girlfriend/best friend's foster father.

What I'm saying is that you have to look at both the killer and the prospective victim's personalities, pasts, and definitely present. Would it affect the story in any way besides being a meaningless death? Is it affecting any character arcs or plot arcs? I'm not saying you shouldn't kill anyone off, but make sure it's for a reason.
Thanks for reading. :)
  





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Sat May 09, 2015 11:58 pm
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Vervain says...



To add: If you're going to kill anyone at all, and you mean for it to evoke a certain emotion in your readers, then pick who you kill wisely.

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to killing characters. There are a number who relish in meaningless death (and give it meaning sometimes, i.e., the horrors of war and George R. R. Martin). There are a number who think that every death should have a clear point, whether it's exposing a flaw in a plan or the result of a duel or battle. And there are others who ascribe to never killing anyone ever.

Each of these can definitely have their problems. Personally, I ascribe to the second school, so while I'm not one to advocate pointless death, I'm going to ask: Who could feasibly die, and why should they die? Will it further characterization? Plot? Heightening tension? Will it show that the impenetrable wall is actually penetrable? Will it show noble sacrifice for the greater good? Mindless sacrifice for the greater good? It's up to you.

Also, as far as "how should my main character react?" -- that's up to you, too. You're the writer. We don't know your main character, we don't know his characterization, and characterization is king when asking yourself how someone will react to something. We can give suggestions, but we're more than likely going to be completely wrong on what his character is like.
stay off the faerie paths
  





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Sun May 10, 2015 12:42 am
Yuna229 says...



Thanks for the answers so far! Just to add something, if I kill any of these people, it will be my main character who kills them. You're probably thinking it the wrong way right now, but he sorte of gets possesed and his body is controled by the thing that posseses it, but my MC doesn't notice a thing.
He will feel guilty, but I need more feelings, and I'm not amazing at finding post-trauma (or something) feelings. What do people actually feel when things like this happen?
  





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Mon May 25, 2015 3:12 am
Rosendorn says...



That is something completely dependant on the character. You have to figure out how they'd react to realizing they killed when possessed. We can't tell you how, exactly, they would. We can only offer advice based on the situation, and right now we don't have enough. I can give you this guide on post traumatic stress, but it might not apply if your character is the type to forgive themselves for actions they undertook when they weren't in control of their body; or, they realize it wasn't them, but the person possessing them that did it and they aren't at fault.

Character reactions are varied, and without knowing anything about their personality we can't tell you. If they feel responsible/feel they should've been able to stop it, they'll react much differently than if they accept they were possessed and act as if it was the possessor who killed them.

Ark's advice still stands— even if it's the MC doing the killing, then you have to consider why they should die and what impact it'll have on the future narrative. Even if your MC doesn't feel a thing now, they'll feel it later, and the readers will still be impacted by the death even if the MC isn't. Ark's commentary is about reader and plot impact, less so on character impact, and you do have to consider how readers will feel it. For any character death, no matter who's doing it, you have to ask yourself why you're doing that death. You also have to ask yourself what that death will serve.

You can take a look at Death Tropes and try to get a sense of what types of death exist. For example, mentor figure death is extremely common, as is killing the hero's girlfriend to drive him to get revenge. The fact they're so common means they'll probably be less impactful, and you could get into "shock factor death" territory.

It also depends how you write it. If your scene is currently from the perspective of the possessed MC and they aren't aware, they'd wake up later on and realize what happened. If you have multiple points of view, then you could be writing from a side character who's watching and could be impacted much differently. If you've got your MC watching but detached, then that will again be different.

Really, the bottom line is all of this depends on you knowing your character enough to tell how they'd react, seeing as there are a lot of reactions to tragedy, and depending on the character, they have the possibility of not seeing killing somebody else while unaware as trauma that reflects personally upon them.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  








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