Killing off characters (part 2)

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

Thank you all for your responses for the last post. I really loved to hear your views on the killing characters topic.

You see, I have this character that's been in the story since page one. She's very kind and sweet, she serves no purpose in the story. She's useless and she probably not going to be very helpful for my MC anyway. She's a very likable to the readers, and hey, I like her too. I don't know what to do anymore and I just cry just thinking about it.

I don't know exactly how this would help the story. My MC cares about her a lot, so if she dies, there's a chance that she might become a much colder person.

You guys say that I need a good reason for killing her off. I'm not sure if this counts. It's probably going to make readers snippy. It's really painful to see her go.

Help me, I don't know what to do.

Anyone have any tips before I kill her off?

(You can read the story at the bottom if you want. Her name is Aiyana.)

dirtsider · Jun 5, 2008

Is there a way to take her out of the story without killing her off?

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

dirtsider said:
Is there a way to take her out of the story without killing her off?

No, I'm afraid.

Provrb1810meggy · Jun 5, 2008

You could just delete the character since she doesn't serve a specific purpose in the story.

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

Provrb1810meggy said:
You could just delete the character since she doesn't serve a specific purpose in the story.

Isn't that killing?

dpaterso · Jun 5, 2008

It's not killing if the character doesn't exist in the story in the first place (which is what I think previous poster meant).

But you say your MC cares about her. So her death will change your MC. That's all that matters. Make it spectacular and shocking.

-Derek

ishtar'sgate · Jun 5, 2008

BlueLucario said:
You see, I have this character that's been in the story since page one. She's very kind and sweet, she serves no purpose in the story. She's useless and she probably not going to be very helpful for my MC anyway.

She shouldn't be in the story in the first place. If she serves no purpose then she's extraneous material you don't need. Having people like that in your life is great in the real world but in the book world they have no value. All your characters must further the storyline in some way.
Linnea

dirtsider · Jun 5, 2008

Delete her from this story and write her into another one. Then you'll feel better.

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

I can't do that. I'm not saying she never served her purpose. But as the story went on I felt that I had no use for her, and she must die next chapter. I like her, and the readers sympathize with her too.

Linda Adams · Jun 5, 2008

Help me, I don't know what to do.

Anyone have any tips before I kill her off?

Yes, a third choice. Don't kill her off. Instead, from this point forward, write the story as if she doesn't even exist. Then, once you finish the story, you'll be in a better position to assess whether the character is needed, and if she isn't, it'll be an easy revision taking her out.

Remember, this is only the first draft. Give yourself permission to not do it right.

blueobsidian · Jun 5, 2008

Liking and sympathizing with a character are not reasons to leave her in the story. If she doesn't have a purpose, go back to the beginning and edit her out. I know that it is hard to delete characters you like, but you must kill your darlings sometimes. You CAN do that and you SHOULD do that.

And actually, if the readers like her and the only reason you are killing her is because she has no purpose, you risk alienating them. If she really is a great character, keep her in the back of your mind for the next story you write. There's no reason to leave her in this one without a purpose.

LisaHy · Jun 5, 2008

If the character no longer has a purpose in the story, killing her off will mean nothing. The death, apart from an emotional impact, will have no influence on the rest of the story and therefore become as pointless as the character herself.

Since I don't think this is the whole case, all you need to do is define what this character takes away from the remaining characters if she dies. If she means a lot to your MC, use the grief the death causes to shape the MC's actions so they influence the rest of the plot. Give the poor doomed character a vital bit of information she takes to the grave, throwing the rest of the characters into turmoil. Use the death as something other than a convenient event. Make it as inconvenient as you can for your remaining characters.

Cheers, Lisa.

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

LisaHy said:
Since I don't think this is the whole case, all you need to do is define what this character takes away from the remaining characters if she dies. If she means a lot to your MC, use the grief the death causes to shape the MC's actions so they influence the rest of the plot. Give the poor doomed character a vital bit of information she takes to the grave, throwing the rest of the characters into turmoil. Use the death as something other than a convenient event. Make it as inconvenient as you can for your remaining characters.

Cheers, Lisa.

Actually, her death could have an impact on the Main character. She realizes there are people out there that she loves.

Her death could show how bad my villains are. How they are willing to euthanize their lab expiriments. And she avenges her death, doing exactly what the villain wants.

Shweta · Jun 5, 2008

Blue, arguing with every response isn't helpful or polite. If you ask these questions, be prepared for answers, and be ready to think about the answers. And be ready to smile and say thank you even if you don't like what people say.

What people are telling you is this: if the character has no purpose other than being likable, killing her off is just emotional manipulation. It doesn't affect the rest of the plot. It's better to write her out of the story entirely.

If she has a purpose (and really, it should be more than just being the token fuzzy bunny for everyone to love), then killing her will also serve a purpose. If you really want her to stay in the book, think about what she can do for the MC, or to screw things up for the MC. Then decide whether she should die or not.

And if that can't happen, then think, seriously, about following some of the advice you're getting here. It's good advice.

On another note, you seem to want to make the MC colder. Is that actually a good thing? Seems to me that's taking out one sympathetic character and making the MC less sympathetic. Why should the reader keep reading at that point?
-And personally I'd think that having a close friend killed would make most people much more emotional, at least for a while. but I don't have context.

sunandshadow · Jun 5, 2008

Are you sure she's not currently serving a role as an empathy pet or morality pet?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EmpathyPet
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralityPet

Any you don't want to have the villains kidnap her and the heroes subsequently rescue her, or use her as a love interest, or something else which might please the readers rather than upsetting them?

Marian Perera · Jun 5, 2008

BlueLucario said:
She's a very likable to the readers... It's probably going to make readers snippy... You can read the story at the bottom if you want.

So much for all our advice about writing your book without asking for feedback at each step of the journey.

As for killing off a character, if you want to do this, then do it. The last thing you should be worrying about at this stage is how readers will react - when someone asked you who you were writing for, didn't you reply that it was yourself?

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

sunandshadow said:
Are you sure she's not currently serving a role as an empathy pet or morality pet?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EmpathyPet
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralityPet

Any you don't want to have the villains kidnap her and the heroes subsequently rescue her, or use her as a love interest, or something else which might please the readers rather than upsetting them?

I love TV tropes!

Let me clarify,

An Empathy pet- A character who's only purpose is to stir up the reader's emotions.

A morality pet- A character who's only purpose is to sympathize with the villain and make him good. Or show a more human side of the villain.

-------------------
Thanks for telling me about the kidnapping by a villain part. I just finished writing it. I only did that so I can get to the fight scene. :Headbang:

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

Queen of Swords said:
So much for all our advice about writing your book without asking for feedback at each step of the journey.
?

Yeah, I said that. I never asked for feedback to come to that conclusion. Anyway, what I said about making readers snippy, I wanted to find a way to kill the character that I don't find stupid. I wouldn't let my characters die because they got struck by lightning.

Marian Perera · Jun 5, 2008

Since my point seems to have been missed, I'll drop it. You want a suggestion as to how to kill a character? Have Lily accidentally shoot her while playing around with the gun - that'll teach her gun safety as well.

DeadlyAccurate · Jun 5, 2008

BlueLucario said:
You guys say that I need a good reason for killing her off. I'm not sure if this counts. It's probably going to make readers snippy. It's really painful to see her go.

If it won't hurt you, she probably doesn't need to be in the story at all. I've done it, and it's almost like a real loss when I think that she's really gone, that she won't be there for my heroine in the next books.

Marian Perera · Jun 5, 2008

BlueLucario said:
Oh, I got your point

I don't think you did, but whatever.

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

You know maybe I should move on without her. It's very uncomfortable, which is why I hate first drafts, but I should move on.

Now to find a way to get the main character out of Aiyana's house. >_>

(Oh I got your point just fine.

)

Provrb1810meggy · Jun 5, 2008

Blue, maybe it would be helpful if you specified what advice you're really looking for. Are you looking for a way to kill her off? It's not our story, so we can't decide for you, though I think there was a thread with ideas on how a character can die. I'll look for it.

Or are you asking something else entirely? Basically, I'm asking, what do you want out of our posts, Blue?

If you don't state it clearly, we can't help you.

ETA: You decided to move on without her, so I guess this makes my post null and void!

HeronW · Jun 5, 2008

Tossing a spanner into the works: rewite the characer to mean something deeper to the MC--last relative left alive unknown til recently, or has knowledge the MC needs, is a thorn in the bad guy's side because she believes in the MC, something like that. Then when she dies, her direct input is lost but the MC can recall times she helped when MC is faced with XXX 'use the Force' moments. :}

BlueLucario · Jun 5, 2008

HeronW said:
Tossing a spanner into the works: rewite the characer to mean something deeper to the MC--last relative left alive unknown til recently, or has knowledge the MC needs, is a thorn in the bad guy's side because she believes in the MC, something like that. Then when she dies, her direct input is lost but the MC can recall times she helped when MC is faced with XXX 'use the Force' moments. :}

That's what I got right now.

You know what? Forget it. I won't kill off my characters. I don't really see what I could gain from doing that anyway. Now I'm going to think of a way to move on without her.

I don't want to be argumentative, or rude. I was just all out of options and my mind is racing because of it.

I'm going to bed.

Killing off characters (part 2)

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