FOREWARNING, MINOR SPOILERS FOR A FEW OF MY BOOKS.
HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF READING A BOOK OR WATCHING A MOVIE/SHOW AND EITHER HOPING A PARTICULAR CHARACTER WILL DIE, OR STUNNED BY THE DEATH OF ANOTHER? I’VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT EQUATION, AS A CONSUMER AND A WRITER. AS A CONSUMER I OFTEN FIND MYSELF HATING FAN FAVORITES, LIKE KATE IN NCIS. I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN SHE DIED. I FOUND HER ENTIRELY ANNOYING. I KNOW, CRUEL. ON THE FLIP SIDE, I OFTEN DON’T WANT TO SEE LESS LOVED CHARACTERS DIE, AND EVEN WANT THE VILLAIN TO SUCCEED AT TIMES. NOW, AS I WRITER I’M LESS FOND OF KILLING MC’S. THAT’S NOT TO SAY I WON’T DO IT IN THE FUTURE, YOU NEVER KNOW. BUT I DO FIND MYSELF PLANNING SPECIFIC CHARACTERS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF DYING, LIKE ADRIAN IN ABROAD IN THE STARS. I EVEN FIND MYSELF LIKING THE CHARACTERS I HAVE PLANNED TO DIE IN MY BOOKS, BUT DO AWAY WITH THEM ANYWAYS. WHEN IT COMES TO VILLAIN DEATHS THOUGH, I HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH! FIRSTLY, I MUST CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT MY VILLAIN WILL BE NEEDED IN FUTURE BOOKS, AS IN THE HUNTERS IN MY ITÁYU LAKE SERIES, OR THE RED FALCON’S CREW IN MY GALAXIA PIRATES BOOKS. SECOND, WILL THEIR DEATHS ADVANCE A CONFLICT OR RESOLVE A CONFLICT? IF THE ANSWER IS BOTH, THEY ARE SO DEAD. IF I CAN DO BOTH WITHOUT KILLING A VILLAIN THOUGH I WON’T ELIMINATE THEM. THIRD, DO I WANT THIS CHARACTER TO DIE? THIS IS A MINOR THING FOR ME WHEN WRITING MY VILLAINS, BUT STILL SOMETHING I CONSIDER. I THINK MAINLY WHEN PLANNING A CHARACTER’S DEATH, AS A WRITER, I WANT TO ENSURE THE DEATH HOLDS SOME KIND OF MEANING FOR THE STORY OVERALL. MAYBE THE PERSON THAT DIED IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF AN MC? PERHAPS THAT DEATH IS THE TRIGGER FOR THE STORY? THOUGH A FAN OF WHOLE-SALE SLAUGHTER AT TIMES, IT HAS ITS PLACE. THAT PLACE IS NOT USUALLY IN MY ROMANCE NOVELS. AT LEAST NOT CENTER STAGE. OF COURSE THAT LEAVES ONE FINAL TOPIC: POINTLESS CHARACTER DEATHS. THESE ARE DEATHS THAT DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE STORY OR THE MC’S DEVELOPMENT. THE CHARACTER JUST DIES, WITH OR WITHOUT FANFARE. GORDON SILBERMAN’S CHARACTER FROM 2012 IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A POINTLESS DEATH. HE IS ONLY KILLED SO THE EX-WIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT GOING BACK TO HER HUSBAND, PLAYED BY JOHN CUSACK. THAT’S NOT A REASON TO KILL SOMEONE! GOD FORBID THE WOMAN FACE SOME KIND OF CONSEQUENCE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO MEN! I REMEMBER WATCHING THAT SCENE AND MY SUBSEQUENT REACTION BEING, “WAIT? THAT’S IT! AFTER EVERYTHING HE’S DONE TO HELP, THAT’S IT?” POINTLESS. UTTERLY POINTLESS. SO, I GUESS MY POINT IS, NO MATTER WHO YOU’RE KILLING OFF MAKE SURE THEIR DEATH AS SOME KIND OF MEANING. UNLESS THEY’RE JUST CANNON FODDER LIKE FACELESS SOLDIERS OR DRONES. THEN KILL AS MANY AS YOU WANT! BUT AGAIN, ONLY WHEN APPROPRIATE. WHOLE-SALE SLAUGHTER IS FUN, BUT NOT ALWAYS NEEDED, SADLY. WRENCH IN THE ENGINE IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT A 10% DISCOUNT @ HTTP://WWW.BOOKSTRAND.COM/BOOK/WRENCH-IN-THE-ENGINE
1 Comment
Tammy Zimmerman
2/22/2017 12:47:01 am
I got this copy when I got a GC lol can't wait to read this book <3
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A.M. HalfordMondays: Free post days where I post about anything I feel like talking about. Archives
May 2018
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