Okay, full confession, this post has nothing to do with the
famous quote by William Faulkner that “In writing, you must kill all your
darlings”: the advice that you must remove all characters, words and side plots
that take the emphasis away from your main story. A notion I happen to believe
is rubbish in the context of fantasy writing, where the rich texture of your prose
is the story.
This post is nothing to do with that.
I spend much time on the social media site: Mastodon, where
I engage with many other writers. A recent debate surrounded killing characters. This was the question:
I glibly suggested that I love killing
characters and do it to put the reader off balance, but that’s not entirely
true. As a pantser or discovery writer (someone who likes to create most of the
story in the moment rather than plotting ahead), I don’t plan many character
deaths far in advance. Two characters in the Nifaran Chronicles would always
die, but the rest happened organically as the story progressed.
I’m not spoiling any moments from the Nifaran Chronicles by
revealing the details, but here are some reasons and story arcs where a
character’s death packs a punch.
Satisfying comeuppance.
An oldie but a goodie, this common trope sees a vile
character meet a grisly end. Almost as if the gods have intervened to punish evil
deeds. When the writer has built a character into a hateful figure, it can give
the reader a moment of air-punching joy when they come unstuck. This tactic works
incredibly well if the tension builds over a protracted period. Think Hans
Gruber falling from the Nakatomi tower or the beancounter devoured by a T-Rex
while sitting on the toilet in Jurrasic Park.
Redemption through Sacrifice.
A character might have a shady past or be responsible for a
hidden atrocity. The invisible gods will take this character’s life, but not
before the individual performs a selfless act of redemption, possibly by saving
another character’s life. I love these bitter-sweet moments and enjoy building
the backstory leading to the character’s demise.
New blood.
In one instance, a prominent character will die, leaving a
subordinate to take the reins, someone who never envisaged themselves as a
leader. A character’s death can allow the writer to take the story in a new
direction. I used this opportunity to promote an older character who thought of
themselves more as a teacher.
The Example.
I’m not too fond of this one, and I’m not sure I could ever
do it to a main character. In this scenario, the antagonist kills a minor
character to demonstrate their power and ensure obedience. A classic example is the killing of Missandei, a death which felt cheap and unnecessary to me.
Our big bad can kill
for simple hatred or even sport in a variation on this theme. I used this to
galvanise a particular secondary character into an act of vengeance. The trope is often used this way, but it's not something I would use a lot.
The Hero.
Also known as the Hodor moment. If you’re familiar with Game
of Thrones, you may remember a character named Hodor who sacrifices his life to
save his friends by holding a door closed. I’d built a haunting backstory for
one of my characters, a character which I loved.
Late in development, I decided this character wouldn’t make
it. The character almost sees it as their purpose to sacrifice themselves to
save their friends.
Overwhelming odds.
I always get that sinking feeling when I see a Hollywood blockbuster
where the heroes survive a hail of bullets without a scratch and beat an
enormous army with only a few martial arts moves. I’m looking at you, Marvel.
The Magnificent Seven has always been one of my favourite
movies and was a significant inspiration for Vega Rising, the second part of
the Nifaran Chronicles. In the film, our gunslingers face a massive group of
Mexican bandits. Of the original seven, only three men survive.
While I have more survivors than that, I did want the reader
to feel a real sense of jeopardy; any character might die during the battle.
Star-crossed lovers.
A pair of characters meet in strange circumstances. They
each have their own lives but are drawn to each other and have more in common
than anyone they know. The relationship can never work, but it doesn’t stop
them from falling in love.
So why kill one off? Again, it gives the narrative purpose. With
one character gone, it gives the other renewed determination and a don’t
give a shit attitude which serves them well in the trials to come. It also
sets up a future side plot where the sibling of one of the characters pledges
revenge.
That moment.
I love to fill my writing with all the emotions I can: humour,
excitement, tension, horror and grief. There is one particular moment in Vega
Rising that made me cry when I wrote it and every time I read it back. I can’t
go into the details because of SPOILERS; however, I decided that not all the good
guys could survive the big battle, and many would need to be characters the
readers cared about.
The scene was inspired by an old movie called The War of the Roses with Micheal Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
The Beast Must Die.
Everyone expects the antagonist to be defeated and probably killed, but doubt and ambiguity can help to add a touch of realism. Could the baddie be redeemed, could they come back from the dead (as they seem to in Marvel movies), or will the cycle be completed, kind of. You'll need to read Vega Rising to find out. Coming soon.
Holywood loves to kill major characters at the end of a franchise, but they milk it to death (pun intended). Sometimes a character's death can pack a greater emotional punch when they're just gone. The shock of losing a beloved character in such a way can really set the tone that nobody is safe.
The Shock Death.
Jed Mercurio is one of my favourite TV writers; he writes Line of Duty on British TV. Actress Jessica Raine won't be known to US audiences, but she's well known for her role in Call-the-midwife, a soapy UK period drama. In the first episode of series two of Line of Duty, she's killed off in the first half hour after being thrown through a window. We don't see her after this, but the emotional punch is fantastic.
Perhaps I do like to push the reader off balance.
In summary, I want the reader to feel the same emotions I
feel when writing the story, as if I’m taking them on an adventure and I’m the
guide. I don’t relish killing my characters, but I enjoy the narrative challenges
and opportunities they present.
That's all for now.
John Howes.
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