tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post4666857819278988678..comments2023-12-26T18:33:04.681-08:00Comments on Writability: How to Kill Characters With ImpactGabe (Ava Jae)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-13380479614738425182013-12-29T06:40:18.807-08:002013-12-29T06:40:18.807-08:00Dumbledore is a big death, too, I just mentioned S...Dumbledore is a big death, too, I just mentioned Sirius because I was more attached to him, but you're totally right that he was a major death. <br />As for your question, I think you've answered your own question. It sounds to me like the key to make your character's death important isn't to make the readers care about him, but to show the impact it has on your MC. Your readers (hopefully) care about your MC, so when the character's death affects him greatly, it will also affect our readers. <br />That being said, I don't think readers are going to feel badly about that particular character's death, though it doesn't sound like that's your goal. Your key will be showing the importance of the death by showing how it affects your MC. <br />Hope this helps! I wish you all the best with your writing!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-1254725906844217052013-12-27T22:20:03.638-08:002013-12-27T22:20:03.638-08:00All of those deaths above were major to me. But I ...All of those deaths above were major to me. But I have to add Dumbledore... It just doesn't seem right to exclude him. I do have a question on how to make my characters death matter like you mentioned. It's kind of early in the book, only chapter five. It's still important though because it causes deep emotional scars on my main character who killed him. The victim is a 50 something male who tries to rape my main character Matthew's little sister. He walks in on it and starts beating this man up. No intention to kill him but it happens that way. This rapist was only introduced in chapter 3 and so we don't know him that well. I want readers to hate this man for what he did, not care for him or even sympathize with him. Until later in the boom at least! Do you have any tips on how to do that effectively? And make it remembered?Cheyennenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-69212279629844640672013-08-25T09:31:05.758-07:002013-08-25T09:31:05.758-07:00Thank you, Nigel! I haven't read Game of Thron...Thank you, Nigel! I haven't read <i>Game of Thrones</i>, but I've heard all about GRRM's tendency to kill off characters who would traditionally be considered safe. It can definitely be an effective method for adding extra tension, because as you said, suddenly no one is safe.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-75310275679397699502013-08-22T03:34:58.927-07:002013-08-22T03:34:58.927-07:00This is a great topic. I love authors who aren'...This is a great topic. I love authors who aren't afraid to kill their characters, especially the most popular ones. George R Martin and Joss Whedon also come to mind. If it's used well and not as a shock gimmick, I think it also serves to add tension. Suddenly the reader no longer feels the comfort of "well, he/she can't die, he/she is a major character." Now anyone is fair game.Nigel Mitchellhttp://nigelgmitchell.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-91720282520571536222012-10-19T19:05:33.425-07:002012-10-19T19:05:33.425-07:00I know what you mean about deaths affecting you wh...I know what you mean about deaths affecting you while you write, and I suspect that you're right that it has partially to do with the fact that they're <i>our</i> characters. I suspect the other factor is that we have full control over what happens to our characters, so killing them off can be more difficult that reading about them dying. <br /><br /><br />And you're also right about not killing characters just to kill characters--good point.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-35777435041459658822012-10-19T19:03:30.678-07:002012-10-19T19:03:30.678-07:00Well, firstly, you don't sound like a psychopa...Well, firstly, you don't sound like a psychopath at all--you sound like a writer. And I understand what you mean about the psychological scars--the events that affect our characters greatly are the ones that leave the most impact on our readers as well. <br /><br /><br />Interesting point about the death of the antagonist. I think you're right that they can be difficult to pull off--it certainly requires a balance so that it doesn't turn out melodramatic.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-7138348585366609472012-10-18T13:21:33.851-07:002012-10-18T13:21:33.851-07:00Deaths seem to affect me when I write more than wh...Deaths seem to affect me when I write more than when I read...probably because I created the characters. I agree with you, and all the deaths up there mattered to me (slightly less for Gandalf, because I knew he was alive, but...you know what I mean). And even though I think we shouldn't kill characters we love for the sake of it, it IS important to make the necessary deaths matter ;)Emily Meadhttp://twitter.com/theloonytuneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-47036048008131190822012-10-17T14:05:59.805-07:002012-10-17T14:05:59.805-07:00I skipped over the Hunger Games, as I have yet to ...I skipped over the Hunger Games, as I have yet to read it. :P<br /><br />For me, deaths that have the most emotional impact are the one's that leave horrific scars on your characters. I came up with a death for my second draft (Which I have yet to get to. :P) that leaves rather horrible psychological scars on other people.<br /><br />I hope I don't sound like a psychopath, but this topic is morbid anyways, so....XD<br /><br />One thing I am interested in is the death of the Antagonist. How do you make it feel right. Not anticlimactic, but also not a fate that feels too bad for the character.<br /><br />Effective antagonist deaths are hard to pull off, which is why I tip my hat to anybody that get's it right. :PKyle van Rensburghttp://www.facebook.com/kyle.vanrensburg.35noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-55327154069679105392012-10-17T09:17:41.726-07:002012-10-17T09:17:41.726-07:00I know exactly what you mean! I kept expecting Sir...I know exactly what you mean! I kept expecting Sirius to be revived. Even after it didn't happen in book six, I had the faintest hope that it might happen in book seven, but alas...Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-79226822653993035082012-10-17T09:17:03.378-07:002012-10-17T09:17:03.378-07:00I was definitely saddened by the many deaths at th...I was definitely saddened by the many deaths at the end of the last book, but on the other hand I knew it would be entirely unrealistic if all of our beloved characters survived the war against Voldemort. As far as character deaths go, I think J.K. Rowling handled them very well. <br /><br /><br />Thank you, Khai!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-63643475318109679112012-10-17T08:23:29.129-07:002012-10-17T08:23:29.129-07:00The thing that made Sirius's death so powerful...The thing that made Sirius's death so powerful to me is that I never expected it. Finally Harry had something good in his life and he was ripped from that. I read all of book six waiting for his return, and it never happened. Sad day!J. A. Bennetthttp://twitter.com/j_a_bennettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-80795002575956974682012-10-17T05:34:01.444-07:002012-10-17T05:34:01.444-07:00I haven't even reached the "death" s...I haven't even reached the "death" scene in my WiP yet as it happens much later in the book and yet I know it is so incredibly important, as you have pointed out in your great examples above.<br />Regarding the death scene in Harry Potter that you mention, I was actually pretty stunned at the quick and rapid deaths that occur toward the end during the Battle of Hogwarts. As a reader, I felt a bit cheated, but at the same time the chaos of the battle was expressed well (notwithstanding long infodumps from Dumbledore).<br />Great post, Ava.Khaihttp://twitter.com/virtuefictionnoreply@blogger.com