1. SilverWolf0101

    SilverWolf0101 Active Member

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    Should I Kill Him?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by SilverWolf0101, Jan 24, 2010.

    Ok, here's my problem. I don't know if I should kill this character or not.

    The thing is, he was severely wounded in a war, in fact he was stabbed in the abdomen, to try and save himself though he used a bit of his powers to try and save himself from death. Even though he did that he's severely wounded to the point where he's still fighting for his life.

    I really wouldn't mind killing him if he wasn't an important character to the trilogy(as he's part of a story that spans through three books).

    So I'm asking, should I kill him? Or should I find some strange way of keeping him alive and keeping him in the trilogy?
     
  2. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    No one can answer that for you. But every death should serve a purpose, to advance the story or develop other characters. So ask yourself, does his death do either of those things? Or does keeping him alive serve a better purpose, such as adding a complication to everyone else to keep him alive?

    A death, especially of a significant character, is a powerful event. It deserves some thought and effort on the writer's part.
     
  3. Dante Dases

    Dante Dases Contributor Contributor

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    Good questions to ask there, Cog. I'd also argue that a case can be made for killing off characters who have served their purpose, in the right situation. Has he served his purpose in relation to the story? Is he in a position where he might be subjected to lethal forces? Alternatively, is he in a position to be written out of the story in another way? Is he traumatised and wanting to get away from it all?

    Killing a character off isn't the only way to lose a character from a story, and if it might be useful to bring him back, I wouldn't advise killing him.
     
  4. SilverWolf0101

    SilverWolf0101 Active Member

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    I guess I stated my question wrong. What I really meant was with how severe his wounds is, would he be able to survive them, even after using a bit of his powers to try and save his own life?
     
  5. writewizard

    writewizard New Member

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    Firstly, to keep him alive, you must have a reason. You must know why you want to keep him alive. Ask yourself this: Does he add anything to the story? Am I going to loose thousands of readers if I kill him? If he doesn't add anything to the story, he goes. Simple as that.

    That being said, it's your judgement call, and it's your story. But those are the guidelines I write by.
     
  6. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    That is for you to decide, writer. You could even have him die and return, as appens too often in speculative fiction.
     

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