Writers...What do you think of killing characters?

Question

Just want to see your thoughts.
How many character deaths are too many?
How many main character deaths are too many?
I'm going to kill off all of my characters, what do you think about that?
If you kill more than one character, do you kill them at the same time, or pace it out, or what?

Answer 1

I know someone is going to think me horrible, but I LOVE killing people. Don't know why, but I do. It's fun, I guess. Depending on what kind of story it is depends on how many. If it's a horror or mystery, a good amount of deaths are important. If it's a romance, not so much. If you kill all your main characters, you don't have a story left. I pace out my killings. :D It makes more drama, I guess.

Answer 2

I really don't want to but sometimes it's key to the story. Sometimes I come up with alternate endings but the death is usually the best.



As far as how many deaths go it depends on your story. Some person commented that they needed another death on a show we watch. I told them as long as I've been to school I've only dealt with 2 student deaths. It be unrealistic if every other season someone was being killed off. Then no one would send there kids to the death school



Main characters are very important to the story. You have no idea how popular they maybe come. Imagine if JK rowling killed off all 3 main characters. It could actually damage your story/series



You killing off your characters will be interesting to see. To see how you will end your story and see the storyline that lead up to it. (Hey wolf's rain did it)



I pace it out I do have one story where the deaths are close together though

Answer 3

This is a hard one for me, sometimes I'll create a character so that I can kill it but then I'll like them and not want to, hehehe, but I'm a softy.

1) It depends on your story. If it's about the happy fun times of talking bunnies, than 1 is too many, if it's about world war II then the sky is the limit.

2) This depends on your message, if you want to portray to the world a bleak and sad outlook on life than kill all of your main characters, however, if you want a good story with some sort of hopeful message than you can still kill as many as you want as long as their deaths offered some sort of balance to the universe or promise for the future, if you don't really want to kill any of them but feel that you're story is too violent for everyone to get out alive then either kill the character you feel will be the most beloved by the readers and his or her death should be enough, or kill a few them who's deaths won't destroy the lives of your other main characters.

3) This is a hard one to sell, I will say that if you are going to kill them all you had better have a damn good reason otherwise the reader will hate it (it's like a story where it turned out to be a dream the whole time, you get to the end and you're like 'what the hell was the point of that?')

4) The only answer to this is that you have to do it when the plot calls for it, don't decide who you want to die and then kill them all in an explosion at one time just to be done with it and give your other characters a reason to mourn, it'll be forced and the reader will know, also, don't decide to kill one character every two chapters just because, it'll be dull and repititive. A good reason to kill them all off at once would be if you need a big event to happen and then you want the rest of your story to be about you surviving characters rebuilding their lives, or something along those lines, a good reason to space them out would be if your characters are going on a series of missions and you want the reader to understand exactly how dangerous these missions are, then maybe every once in a while one of them should die.

There really is no wrong or right answer to these questions, just be true to your plot, characters should not die because you feel like you should kill somebody off but rather you feel like it's unrealistic for everyone to live. Sorry for the rant, I hope this helped!

Answer 4

1. You can't kill too many characters

2. You can't kill too many main characters, unless you don't tie up their loose ends.

3. Do it to it.

4. You can do it whenever you want, just make sure that ends are tied up with it and that you write it with a sense of closure.



Assuming you have seen the movie Avatar, think about the big fight scene at the end. How many of the main characters died? Three? Four? at least. You won't really be suffering from killing too many main characters unless there is unresolved conflict.

Answer 5

1) At least one character has to get the boot. Oppositely, at least one character has to live.

2) Same as above. The one character can be the main character or not.

3) If the ending is still satisfying, do it.

4) Pace it out in general.

Answer 6

Character deaths are always good. They make the character keep reading. But then, if you killed like Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, then you'd be in trouble. If you killed too much, then readers would feel like you're just trying to get the book done.

3 main character deaths are too many because then you would have to bring the story to a new character.

Who would be the one narrating at the end?

Answer 7

If u kill a character, its just making the number of books less. If u kill off the main character, u'll likely have only 1 book if u kill it off in the 1st book. You'd be lucky to get a 2nd book.

Answer 8

I know this is gruesome, but I love it! It adds a special depth to the story.

umm... it depends on what type of book it is and what the plot is, more deaths are acceptable for a war scene and story than a romance story.

All of your MC's dieing is too many

Haha, the ending will be very interesting

I pace it out, usually, so it makes the story more interesting and keeps the readers guessing who will die next

Answer 9

I almost exclusively write murder mysteries, so I write a lot about death and murders XD

I think all characters dying is a bit too much, maybe let just one or two live?

It depends on the plot. There's been times when more than one character is killed at once but mostly they die separately :]

Answer 10

Well I'm writing one as well where all the characters die so if your doing that we're in the the same position. I'm going to kill of either 19 or 20 of them, I don't know yet. One of my main characters is definitely dying, the other one might or I might let him live. I think you should go for it, it's quite fun. I pace mine out, they don't all die in different ways but they don't all die like 12 of them die in an explosion, that doesn't happen, I like dragging it out.

Answer 11

I'm okay with killing characters. I actually don't like when no one dies because it really makes the gravity of the situation seem less dire. I usually kill of at least two of my main characters and lots of supporting characters.

Answer 12

If you kill all the characters, then there's no room for a sequel. Main characters, I would kill all but two. In doing so, it will be easier to end the book. Yet, it will leave room for a sequel.

Answer 13

If you kill off all your characters then the story is over, then again it better be a really good story. I enjoy killing off the main character, then there would be no soppy happy endings.

Answer 14

I kill off a lot of main characters in my latest project. You almost always have to let a few characters step off the chopping block though. otherwise readers will be mad :(

Answer 15

I like to kill all of my main characters or at least one





I have never written a story - long one- before but well have a plot in mind and its only a matter of time before I put pen to paper

Answer 16

I just can't do it. I can't physically bring myself to type out the deadly words that show that that character is dying/dead. My fingers go all numb and shaky whenever they go anywhere near the keyboard as if they repel it. I have to take deep breaths and open up a new Word Document and write about something else before I go back to it. It weakens me immensely on the outside and inside. I can't bare to read that character dying, let alone picture it.

Answer 17

Hi. In my question about my book you answered, and this caught my eye. I'm going to have people think Saphira died, but she didn't. Though she becomes a slave.



Either way, a dramatic death is good, unless . . . Unless you plan to make your book a comedy or something.

Answer 18

It is your creation, there is no such thing as "to many"

It needs to be realistic, but it's your characters.

Make sure though that it isn't utterly ridiculous.

It also depends on the scene of your story and your theme..ect.