There are many interesting fates each character faces in a book, movie, or even video game.
From the harrowing tale of Romeo and Juliet, or that of Game of Thrones, there are so many different ways a character can die.
Today, I’ll be touching on death, how this affects your other characters who are still living, and how each death has a lesson to be learned.
I’ll never tire of the many creative ways authors create the death of their characters, whether they are main or side characters. Suffice it to say, creating each character is already a daunting task. Building up their very life from the ground up – takes quite a lot of energy, time, and dedication to understanding each and every one of them.
There have been many instances where I’ve read a line that intrigued me or garnered my attention, even more than it should have. But, of course, this is solely due to the power a writer harbors in their God-given talent.
It’s remarkable how life can be unpredictable, even in a book. In this manner, a book harnesses the mystic secrets of life. It translates it in such a fantastic way that even a reader can be left pondering on so many thoughts. A reader can consider how impactful a situation was or the lasting impression it has left on them for the rest of their own lives.
I usually find myself contemplating the fates of my own characters at times. I wonder how long each one will live in the entire span of any series I have yet to pen down.
It both amazes me and overwhelms me with unspeakable emotions. Thinking about the countless possibilities creates a whirlwind of emotions in me. As ironic as it may sound, the idea of death in any story gives me an unknown rush of mystery.
To contemplate whether a character will live on to see another day or whether a character will meet their demise just a couple of words away. It gives me a sense of humbleness and humanness. It reminds me that no matter who we are as people – we will always remain susceptible to both the beauties of life and the tragedies of death.
We are usually left with countless more questions than we are left with concrete answers when someone we know dearly passes on from this life. Yet, unmistakably so, the fate of one character undoubtedly alters the future of all other characters connected or related to them.
There are many reasons why certain characters are met with death throughout a story. But, moreover, it’s essential to realize that just like in life, a character’s death holds the same weight as a death in real life (for writers and readers, at any rate).
So you should not only be careful about who you kill in your stories, but you should moreover have a time of grieving for each fallen character.
I’ve seen, at times, some characters die off with absolutely no mention after their death. It’s as if they never existed, and to some degree, real-life can work in this manner as well. But as a reader, nothing turns me off more than a senseless death. Because ironically enough, even senseless killing in a story should leave a reader with the same amount of mixed emotions that a meaningful death leaves.
To a varying degree, every death should hold some kind of emotional scar or mark. It just doesn’t seem realistic if all emotions are voided out of a death scene. Of course, the only valid exception to this is entirely sociopathic characters. But like I stated before, even senseless killing in a book should still leave the reader in awe and disturbance. It shouldn’t feel shallow and dismissive; otherwise, you risk losing the attention of a lot of readers.
As I sign off for this day’s post, I’ll leave you all with one piece of writing advice: Never be too afraid to push the limits of your characters. For in strength comes the possibility of an unforgettable and honorable death.
Forever in Your Debt,
Leon R.M. Auguste
Leon R.M. Auguste 