Is it normal for the creator to CRY when they kill off a mian character?

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Eurlo, Apr 5, 2011.

  1. CriminallyVu1gar

    CriminallyVu1gar New Member

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    I think it happens. Sometimes I get emotionally affected by my own work, sometimes not. I've given up trying to make sense of it :p
     
  2. katica

    katica New Member

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    Agreed. I am the same way.

    I also have never cried yet when I killed off a character. I get emotional, but don't necessarily cry. I usually get overpowered by respect, actually, over the sacrifice the character made in the scene or how powerful the scene was. It chokes me up a little, but more like a proud mother. Weird, I know.
     
  3. Boriol

    Boriol New Member

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    Maybe I'm just a sadist, but I don't feel anything when I seriously injure a character. However, I do get close to tears when I kill them, even in little side-stories that aren't gonna affect the main plot (like, a separate Word file just written for ideas).

    In one story, a 16-year-old angel girl had her wings cut off. I felt nothing. She'd only been introduced at the beginning of the chapter, but the people who read it said it was pretty disturbing, so I'm not sure it was a matter of me not being a good enough writer.

    Sorry for kinda stealing the thread here (I promise, I'll contribute to later discussion if possible). Is it bad that I DON'T feel anything when I hurt my characters? Especially girls?
     
  4. katica

    katica New Member

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    Nope. You don't have a plot unless your characters are suffering in some way. Technically, I enjoy making my characters suffer because of it. I don't cry when they get hurt either.
     
  5. Yoshiko

    Yoshiko Contributor Contributor

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    I think it's normal for a lot of writers. I know people who cry writing break-up scenes and happy endings. It can be the same as reading something or watching something, right? You get attached to them.

    Personally, I've only cried when killing off a mentally ill character. He commit suicide. It wasn't his death that made me cry but instead the fact he died without: ever overcoming his problems or alcoholism; being able to fully comprehend his surroundings; or understanding the reason why he couldn't see the people he loved anymore.
     
  6. bekajoi

    bekajoi New Member

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    My recent short story ghost story thing, I knew up front what would happen, who would die, and how. I wasn't overly attached, even though it was something I've worked on for ages, but I did tear up a bit at her parents' reaction (mostly cut out upon editing)...

    But then, I've got another story where a girl is reliving her mother's death and the following changes in her childhood, and that made me cry while writing... and again while re-reading.

    And another one makes me cry when I read it, though I didn't tear up while writing it.

    I think it happens, it's perfectly ok, and you work on the parts you can make yourself work on as you are able.

    The characters become real to us. We lose a friend, in a way, when we allow them to die. I phrase it that way because I don't ever really feel I'm in control of my stories... I just write them out as they play out. My characters kind of do what they want... And I don't always approve of their actions, but they do what they do and that's that.
     
  7. Infinitytruth

    Infinitytruth New Member

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    Lol that's kind of funny, but it depends on the perspective of the individual. What's crazy for one is normal for another. I guess you got attached, and got emotional about it. Nothing wrong with that.
     
  8. Lothgar

    Lothgar New Member

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    I would offer that it is entirely possible to be both a sociopath and a terrible writer. ;)
     
  9. Bay K.

    Bay K. New Member

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    Yes! Bawl!
    The muses have taken you close to the peak of your literary mount Olympus.
    At the end of the day, that's what really matters --that you 'felt' your own work so deeply.
    It is actually now that your work comes alive and begins to pulsate --breathe.
    It has connected with and taken something deep from within you. Now, let your readers be touched by the glow --in their own ways.
    If you can re-read your work in five ... ten years and still so deeply feel it, then you've achieved something monumental --regardless of critical quality.
    Cry on!
     
  10. Eurlo

    Eurlo Banned

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    Thanks I still get emotional when I think about this...... it was hard and still is, I can't even seem to get into a mood to write again and continue the burial ceramony.....It will kill me to see her lover at the ceramony in tears......

    Also, if Sazi gets there, he will probably kill himself, he could't bare life without her! So then I'm going to be crying all over again and if he doesn't kill himself, Yami probably will cause he is really mean and will kill anyone in his path!

    Or would Sazi just gve up his battle and walk away? The whole point of the battle was to gather an army to help save Ounau.
     
  11. Taylee91

    Taylee91 Carpe Diem Contributor

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    Yes. If this main character is your main character, yes. This person like becomes your baby. Not in a weird way of course.
     
  12. Eurlo

    Eurlo Banned

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    well I am writing on a later part in the book....
     
  13. funkybassmannick

    funkybassmannick New Member

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    Yeah, if you're a pansy.

    J/K I bawled for like a half an hour over killing one of my characters. I was so upset, I rewrote the whole second half of the book so she was still alive. Killed off her mom though, and I don't feel too bad about that.
     
  14. aimi_aiko

    aimi_aiko New Member

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    It's good to be connected to your characters. :)
     
  15. Ellipse

    Ellipse Contributor Contributor

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    I don't cry, but I do get angry when a character I really is killed off.

    Of course that rage fuels all the other characters in their responding actions.
     

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