Notebook.ai

To kill or not to kill?

@Becfromthedead group forum 11 comments schedule
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@Becfromthedead group

How do you decide which characters to kill off? I'm in the middle of a big issue surrounding this right now. I have a main character whose best friend is definitely going to die over the course of the story because it makes sense, but then there's also his sister (also a major character) whom I'm also considering killing off, but that would just do a lot to the story. It would destroy this poor guy, for one thing. For another, I'm not 100% sure how to make sure that if I kill her off that it will have done something to progress the story. I'm thinking that she was kidnapped while trying to spy, and she's brought back barely alive- just enough so that she can give her brother and the rest of their companions the information she needs before dying. Then again, it might be too much, and I should just try something else.

I think you could pull it off. Maybe have the sister pull through, but not ever heal completely.

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@Becfromthedead group

That's actually not a bad way to go. I'm still a good while away from that part of the story, so I have time to think about that, among other things.

Cause if there one thing worse then death, it's emtional, physical, and mentally scarring that will never fully if ever heal.

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@Becfromthedead group

That's true, but at the same time, I'm already kind of doing that to all of the characters in the story, and sometimes I feel like not enough people are dying for the type of story I'm telling and the setting they're in, which is another part of why I might want to off her.

Then kill her. I totally understand, I've got the same problem with one of my things.

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@Becfromthedead group

Yeah, I was just kind of afraid of my second motive for killing her, which was literally, "I hate this character and want to get rid of her." However, I'm on my second draft, and now she's a kind of bad person, but she's more likable for sure. She's a good amount of devious, but also knows when to be soft and kind, so it might work better now that she's actually cool.

Yeah dude!

@M.W.Poel

Death doesn't always have a goal, that's why it's so devastating if it happens. If you do kill someone off, whether there's a good reason or not, it's important that you always think about the consequences of that death and how it affects the ones still living. Make it last, let characters grief, throw their ideal out the window if you have to.
Don't be afraid to kill someone because it has a major impact on the story, that just means you have a good grasp of their roll in the story.

@alanye

Here are some things to think about before killing your character:

  • have they completed their character arc? Sure, some characters will die before their arc is complete, but it's always better to show the audience what that character is capable of before you take it away.
  • are you killing the character for shock value? If so, please STOP. THIS IS NEVER A GOOD REASON TO KILL A CHARACTER. If not, that's good. If it's a main character you plan on killing, try to see how their death will move forward a plot. Do NOT kill a character just to get a reaction from your audience.
  • on the other hand, some character's deaths will not be able to move the story forward in any way, which is a pain in the ass. it's hard figuring that out, I know.
  • also, don't forget to do some research on how death affects surrounding people. Your characters might need some time to get over it; having a friend or a family member die is life-stopping. Grief will not leave your characters alone after two days, or two weeks, or even two months. Hell, sometimes people don't get over a death for years, depending on how they handle it.

I hope this helped. Just some things to think about before you kill a character off.

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@Becfromthedead group

Thanks for the help, you guys! I think I have decided I'm probably going to kill her off late in the story, and I'll make sure her arc is complete and that everything else works out before actually doing it.