Beth Rauch

7/27/2020 Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? | Write Aroono       Write Aroono  Write life. Let's create. Home » Improving Your Prose » Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? IMPROVING YOUR PROSE / TIPS, TRICKS, & TOOLS Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? Search …  C AT E G O R I E S by Beth Rauch | Published June 30, 2020 | 2 comments Killing o a character in your novel is a dilemma for some authors. But if it is done correctly, advances the plot of your book, and makes your reader go, “Oh, I didn’t see that coming,” then you know you did it right. Read on to find out if killing a character is the right thing to do. 4TH OF JULY FATHER'S DAY IMPROVING YOUR PROSE MAKING AN INCOME MARKETING & PUBLISHING NEWS TIPS, TRICKS, & TOOLS UNCATEGORIZED WRITING FOR THE WEB WRITING SCREENPLAYS R E C E N T P O STS Top 3 Free Online Writing Prompt Generators How to Cra a Descriptive Car in 1 Paragraph Writing Redemption Arcs for Your Story’s Villain Writing Portfolio Sites for Your Freelancing Work Breaking Down an A+ College Paper in 5 Sections Killing o a character is sometimes a necessary evil. And for the record, I laugh and have tea with Satan when I kill o a character. Photo is a Supernatural meme. When I was writing my first novel, Behind The Eyes Of Dorian Gray, back in 2005, I had a sudden epiphany. M O ST P O P U L A R P O STS Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/authors-dilemma-should-i-kill-this-character/ 1/6 7/27/2020 Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? | Write Aroono I would kill o a character awesomely. It was one of those “aha” moments. I’m fairly sure everyone in Southeastern Ohio saw the small nuclear explosion that was my mind at the time. She wasn’t the first character I killed in a story. But her death made the book’s ending so much better. Top 3 Write Articles of the Week: July 5 3 Essential Tips For Writing A Good Short Story 3 Ways to Market Yourself as a Freelance Writer 5 Screenwriting Competitions Why Should I Kill O My Character? Authors may argue over the best reason to kill o a character. Some authors may never to Enter B E ST O F A R O O N O kill o a character in their careers. But there are excellent reasons for taking a character out. They include: Jesus Broke the Chains of Racism 2,000 Years Ago Advancing the story – pick up any Agatha Christie novel and you have a corpse somewhere on the property. This death advances the story. It gives out Inspector Poirot and Miss Marple something to do throughout the book. Fulfilling the doomed character’s personal goal – take Fili and Kili in The Hobbit. They had to die to motivate Thorin Oakenshield into fulfilling his personal goal: killing Azog the defiler to save the line of Durin and in revenge for the death of his grandfather. Thorin’s death preserved the line of Durin for his cousin Dain Ironfoot, reclaimed Erebor, and fulfilled his personal goal as he killed Azog with his last dying breath. (Yes, I’m a Tolkien nut. Yes, I can talk about this book all day. No, I’m not crying, you are.) Character motivation – pick any character in the Harry Potter series that died before the last book and you have motivation enough for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go up against Voldemort. The recompense of their action – Catherine’s death in Wuthering Heights is caused by Heathcli and he never fixes their relationship. Removing an excess character – sometimes somebody just has to die to trim a cast of characters that is too large. A Reluctant Beginner’s Guide to Social Media 3 Ways to Tell If It’s Love or Abuse 3 World War II Biography Books to Read 3 Models That Remind Us Black Is Beautiful Ubiso Removes Three Executives A er Allegations 3 Magnificent Madison Museums to Explore in WI How to Make Your Dragon: A Writing Guide To Click or Not To Click: Do We Risk Alienation? 3 True Crime Documentaries to Stream on Netflix Why Shouldn’t I Kill O My Character? Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/authors-dilemma-should-i-kill-this-character/ 2/6 7/27/2020 Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? | Write Aroono There are good reasons not to kill your character too. Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash There are also reasons NOT to kill a character, such as: Killing them o just to shock the reader. Shock value works if you can write it correctly. Making the readers sad because you can. Good luck selling your next novel. Removing an excess character. Yes, it’s in both lists. Does this character belong in your story in the first place? Let’s look at that last one. Some casts of characters become too big to handle. In order to manage it, an author will kill o a character. Every character has a reason to be in your book. They serve a purpose. If you cannot transfer that purpose to another character so that your story flows, you need to reevaluate why the character you want to kill o is there. Instead of killing o the character, consider writing him or her out of the story. You won’t bog your readers down wondering why you killed them o . You will also save them from unnecessary heartache. How Do I Know If I Should Kill This Character? If you think killing o a character can satisfy the reasons above and not leave a vacant role in your book, see if you can check these o : You can justify killing the character o based on the reasons to do it above The reason to kill the character is present in your plot already You know which role and archetype the doomed character plays in your story Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/authors-dilemma-should-i-kill-this-character/ 3/6 7/27/2020 Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? | Write Aroono Another character can fill that hole in the story Your story ends in such a way that the doomed character doesn’t need to be filled Can you check o those items in the list above? If you can, then go for it. Kill o that character. Then sit back and watch the fun begin. Ever kill o a character? Ever have a character death a ect you? Tell us about them in the comments below.        Killing Characters novels Writing AUTHOR Beth Rauch Born and raised in upstate New York, with a brief and very influential stint living in Great Britain, Beth A. Freely Rauch calls Texas her home with her husband Daniel, daughter Caitlyn and cats, Peanut Butter and Toast. Beth has 14 years of writing experience as a copywriter and published author. She enjoys shooting pool, working a haunted house during Halloween, and comic book hero movies. She is also a managing partner of Stoney Hollow Paints, a horse ranch in Texas specializing in showing and breeding Paint horses. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Media Communication with a minor in Marketing as well as a Master’s Degree in English and Creative Writing. Beth is the author of "Behind The Eyes of Dorian Gray" and co-author of "The Legend of Captain St. Pierre." She is currently working to complete her third novel, "The Loch." 13 POSTS YOU MAY ALSO LIKE   Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/authors-dilemma-should-i-kill-this-character/ 4/6