Contemplating Murder

JoNightshade · Jan 10, 2008

As I'm attempting to reorganize my mess of a novel, I've begun to think about killing someone. Mr. Holley, the eccentric reporter for the dinky town newspaper. His role could really be filled by someone else.

But he's part of my SMALL TOWN CHARM!

Anyone else killed someone lately?

scarletpeaches · Jan 10, 2008

Yes.

It's fun, isn't it?

TheIT · Jan 10, 2008

Are you talking about killing the character off or removing the character from the novel? I've done both.

JoNightshade · Jan 10, 2008

I'm removing him from the novel. ::sob:: Which is a fate worse than death, because it will be as if he never existed!

brokenfingers · Jan 10, 2008

JoNightshade said:
Anyone else killed someone lately?

Um... do you mean in their writing?

If so, yes. If not - no, not lately.

scarletpeaches · Jan 10, 2008

Oh. I thought you meant killing someone. I've done that loads of times.

Removing characters? I've done that from one draft to the next. Then in the third draft I brought him back, as a minor, though still essential-to-the-plot character.

JoNightshade · Jan 10, 2008

I'm also cutting the school librarian. Sigh.

icerose · Jan 10, 2008

I've frequently sentenced characters to death both on paper and total deletion.

TheIT · Jan 10, 2008

If the characters dilute the story, write them out. You can always use them somewhere else in some other form.

blacbird · Jan 10, 2008

I usually reserve such contemplation for agents, but, yes, I've eliminated characters, both via deletion and straightforward killing within the narrative.

As a digression, I'll recommend the novel Living in the Present, published in the 1950s, by British writer John Wain. Black humor satire, about a man who decides live isn't worth living, and, weighing things in the balance, he should kill himself. But, before doing so, he decides he should take out the worst human being he can find. He lights on a Nazi-sympathizer acquaintance, and proceeds to try to track him down. Dark, but very funny, in a characteristically nasty Brit-humor vein.

caw

thethinker42 · Jan 10, 2008

JoNightshade said:
Anyone else killed someone lately?

I started my fourth draft of one of my WIP's, and killed 2 characters that were, at one time, major characters. With each draft, they became less and less important, and finally reached the point of irrelevance. So...off they go.

Interestingly enough, 2 other characters who were minor -- barely even cameos -- in the original draft, are now major characters.

I guess it all balances out eventually.

OverTheHills&FarAway · Jan 10, 2008

I tried to get rid of one of three triplets. But, seeing as the story was about triplets...that didn't work out so well. I still hate that character with a passion, but now he is more essential to the plot.

I got rid of a MC's mom. She was just there to cry, I know it, and the story's better without her.

Moon Daughter · Jan 10, 2008

Quite a few.

otterman · Jan 10, 2008

Hmmm, an author killing off all his characters would make a very interesting story.

I'll be back in a few months...

Madison · Jan 10, 2008

otterman said:
Hmmm, an author killing off all his characters would make a very interesting story.

like in 'stranger than fiction'?

there is nothing new under the sun

otterman · Jan 10, 2008

I know the main character was afraid of being killed off but I'm only familiar with the story from the movie trailers. Were all characters in the same situation?

icerose · Jan 10, 2008

Today's been a busy day. In one of my shelf novels I just wrote out 28 minor characters, killed one of my bigger ones within the first five pages, and upgraded two characters to a high status in the book.

JoNightshade · Jan 10, 2008

Wow, I don't think I've ever had 28 characters TOTAL, let alone minor ones.

icerose · Jan 10, 2008

She was a teacher and had that many students in her class. So I cut out most of her students in mention and some of the town's people. They were mentioned mostly in passing, now they are already gone, only a ghost of an impression of them remain in the story.

truelyana · Jan 10, 2008

What's the murder of Mr. Holley going to be like?

JohnDavidPaxton · Jan 10, 2008

I try to not kill characters.

I'm not very good at it.

Azure Skye · Jan 10, 2008

I've eliminated a lot of characters. One is coming back. I. Can't. Wait.

:::insert evil laughter:::

Zelenka · Jan 10, 2008

I lost a whole load when I decided to rewrite my fantasy, but then when I replotted it for the third time, most of them came back. I've still lost my wannabe opera singer / busker / pickpocket (for this novel anyway) and Edane, my lofty little heroine type.

Claudia Gray · Jan 10, 2008

A vampire named Samuel Younger introduced himself early in Stargazer and then did precisely nothing for the rest of the book. He has since been asked to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Ravenlocks · Jan 10, 2008

I had a character who started off dead in the first draft of my WIP. When I started the second draft I resurrected him and gave him some scenes, then concluded it wasn't working and killed him again.

Contemplating Murder

has finally arrived

Infuriatingly Theoretical

has finally arrived

Walkin' That Road

has finally arrived

Lost in School Work

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Abnormal Romance Author

McNifico

Word Voyeur

summertime...

Word Voyeur

Lost in School Work

has finally arrived

Lost in School Work

Set yourself free

Huh?

Going home!

How novel.