Killing the main character?

All you really have to do is give the character a convincing motive. I recall a movie (title left out 'cause there's no way to discuss this without spoilers and a bare bones plot that could easily be adapted is probably more useful anyway) where the main character orchestrates a plan that manipulates several gangsters and throughout it each person he crosses, he is prepared for their retaliation except for one character he saw as insignificant and therefore saw his slighting this character as such an insignificant act that he's completely unprepared for this character's revenge at the end.

 

I think that it's perfectly okay. Maybe you could introduce them back later as not dead. I read a book Maximum Ride the third or fourth and one of the main character's/ important side character died and even though I knew it was coming I thought was unfair but took it as granted because I couldn't have done anything anyways . But since i was attached I kinda wished that somehow they would be alive again.

 

If its necessary, than I'd just do it. If you write it correctly, it will probably come as a shock to the reader when a minor character kills the MC. I actually think that a minor character would fit better in this situation. Do enough to make him prominent in the story, but not enough to make him someone that would be likely to do it. Try your best to make it a suprise to the reader. Besides shock, the reader would probably be a bit angry and sad, especially if they've become attached to this character.

 

Killing the main character if fine, just make sure it has style to it. eg. no tripping into a light post. that would not be worthy of your main character.

 

So general consensus is it is ok to kill the MC?
Ok, thank you all!

 

For a new chapter should you past it in the same thread as the first or start a new thread?

 

All revisions and additions to the same work (short story, novel, poem, essay, etc.) should pe posted as a new post at the end of the same thread.

That's pretty far off topic for this thread, though.

 

Well, most people wouldn't think of killing the main character or one of the main characters. It would be unique if you did. But you should find a really good method to write down the killing. Some people do not manage to do that and the story comes out horrible. Get what I mean?

 

DON'T DO IT! Just kidding. If you're going to do it, do so in a way that your reader will be completely blown away by the WHOLE story, instead of just thinking about the character's death. You have to make them take everything into account.

 

What about taking readers by surprise by killing off the main character? How would that work? Would that be a good thing or a bad thing, or does that depend on the plot of the book or something?

 

It does depend on the plot of the story. It also depends on how many mains there are, how and when you kill the character, and a bunch of other factors as well. Yeah, I'm no help at all I think. Sorry.

 

Well, what you said made sense. Another random question: Would readers dislike an author for killing off a character that the readers are really attached to? Or something like that...

 

I guess it depends on the reader. Some readers do feel cheated if their favorite character gets killed. I guess it all depends on how and why you do it. If it's just for shock value, some readers may feel ripped off. But if it furthers the story and the death feels like it has meaning, then it may even get some fans of the character to accept it. Of course, there will always be those who will resent the character's death no matter what. I think an important thing to remember is that not everybody who reads your work is going to be pleased, and I think if you try to please everybody, you will end up pleasing nobody. Everybody has different tastes and expectations and will react different to an event in a story. There's no general rule to follow really. It's always important to be extra careful with everything in your story, but when it comes to characters that readers are really attached to, then I say you need to be even more careful than that. Again, sorry if I'm not any help.

 

What's that film where the famous writer (played by Emma Thompson) kills off the main character in every book? She gets known for this (obviously) but because the death always has relevance and is different every time, the readers never get tired of her.
I've just remembered, the film is 'Stranger than Fiction'.

 

Talk about killing off the main character, about the only time I remember crying as a kid was when I read the end of "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson...I loved that dog!

 

I think I remember that movie. I don't think you should kill off THE main character every time. Then your book gets predictable. Now, killing off A main character among many from each book is something that can work.