Too many death scenes?

Can a novel have too many death scenes? My current project is filled to the brim with rather sad and terrible death scenes. Could I be a bit too macabre?

Thanks for the help.

 

I guess it kind of depends on how detailed you portray them. Too much detail for each scene could come across redundant, a quick take on each death(like a soldier surveying a battle field who picks out a few more unique aspects of this death or that) could serve better.

 

Depending on how much the reader can stomach, it can go either way. I would have to know the context of said-death scenes before I could judge whether they are excess or necessary. If we are talking battle-scenes, EmmVeePi has very good advice, if the characters killed are important to the story, or named characters at all then I would say that in most cases that yes they are necessary.

 

Well, it depends. If you just start killing your characters in a random spree, it isn't good at all. Including these death scences for the sake of having death scenes, if you get my meaning, will probably get the reader angry with you as the writer, and will make the story more... dull. But it also depends on several other factors, like the story's mood, theme, setting, etc. And the answer to your question is yes, you can be too macabre, but if that is the mood and feelings you want to convey in your story, I don't think it's a bad thing.

 

Thanks guys. I guess to explain further, my story is in a way about a "grim reaper" type character. The death scenes would be accompanying the characters struggle as she travels around having to do her "work."

 

That being the case, I don't think so. But if all the story is about the Grimm Reaper carrying death souls, wouldn't it be somewhat repetitive? And to your question above, a story where the MC is like a personification of death, I don't think you can have too many deaths.

 

Hah I suppose not.

I'll try to keep it non-repetitive.

 

As long as it doesn't come off as melodramatic.

 

If it's well written and unique, of course not. Considering the overwhelming number of shallow people in the world, it may downsize your reading audience, but other than that, go for it.

 

Hehe true, too bad we can't all write about the glories of "shopping" eh?

 

Killing should be an art, if you have many, throw a few murders in. there is a vast difference in reasoning between the two.

As for too many, well, like anything, if its told well, and the story just doesn't center on the deaths, then there shouldn't be a problem. they idea is to give an attachment to their deaths, so the reader shows a reaction and doesn't just go, 'who cares, just another body count'

good luck, happy killings to you

 

Indeed. I was going to say it wouldn't appeal to the teenage, popstar loving masses, but I'm unsure if there was anyone on here like that, and didn't want to get pelted with rotten cyberspace veggies.

 

This, btw, is a fabulous idea. you can put alot of emotionl trauma into it. It would be very raw, very real, and as long as you provide details to each scene, it would go over wonderfully.

For instance, say she has to take the life of a child dying of the flu. Name all of the random things you would notice about the scene, like how the child breathes his last breath, and so on.

Or a scene with a man who was once a murderer. Name the way she would feel about murdering a murderer, and so on and so forth.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding!

CrimsonRose.
You've got it!

 

W000t! haha. And I was hesitating about posting that advice in case you were headed in a totally different direction... lol.

 

I was reading this wondering why this question came up and then I read where the OP said that their story was about a grim reaper type character. I think that there should be a few select deaths that are focused on (based on the story idea) so that readers aren't overwhelmed with too much death and lose interest before they really get into the story itself.

Just my thoughts on this.

~Lynn