How to Kill Off Without Killing

[Joy]

I have a little problem. I have so many supporting characters in my KPA, that I had considered killing some of them off (nobly, don’t worry 😉 ). But then I came to my senses and thought, Why would I kill them??

The adventure itself takes place in the Kingdom of Pen, but I also have other places, more specifically, islands. (Aethasia, Araluen, etc.) So it’s not like they can say, “I’m outta here!” And storm home without running into danger… Or ocean.

So, any suggestions on how I can eject a character without killing them? Creatively?

@kate-flournoy  @jane-maree  @sam-kowal  @daeus  @aratrea  @dragon-snapper  @emma-flournoy  @emily

Disclaimer: For those of you whose characters are in the KPA, The ejections will not be early on — your characters will have plenty of time to stretch their limbs in the plot, so to speak. And if they do end up dying (unlikely, but just in case), it will be a noble death 🙂

You can pronounce it however you want.

[Sam Kowal]

@dekreel Ohhh

Here’s what you could do:

Have them get sucked into a crystal (Where they’re trapped and have to release themselves magically)

Have them get captured by enemies (And then they’re trying to get out while the remaining characters continue on, thinking the captured ones were lost for good.)

Have them get sucked through a portal (and appear in another land somewhere far away)

Have them turn evil (maybe not though)

Have them get separated from the main characters and get lost (and then appear at the end in a flying ship, recounting adventures of everything that happened to them and how they arrived at the final battle just in time)

Have them quit the adventure (although that doesn’t strike me as very noble)

Have them get into a situation they can’t just walk away from (For example, guarding a village from a pack of vicious Procrastinations, and not able to just leave the villagers denfenseless)

Alternatively, have them cause that situation (So they let the vicious Prcrastinations into the village, and have to stay and fight them off)

 

 

So, maybe one of those will be helpful.

Edit by Stan: I WROTE THOSE YOU GUYS

*Giarstanornarak tries to melt chair*
Also, Daeus has 22 turtles in his signature.

[Elizabeth]

Um, I don’t even know if I’m in this…thingy, so am I qualified to answer? *ponders this* *decides to answer anyway*

…make everyone think they’re dead, then make them…not dead. And return them. Triumphantly.

Writer. Dreamer. Sometimes blogger. MBTI mess. Lover of Jesus and books.

[NC Stokes]

@dekreel Building off what @that_writer_girl_99 said, you could “kill” them, but make it a really obvious fake death.

“There’s no body, and no one saw them die. But, of course they’re dead.  Everyone who appears to die is dead. So there.”

*Nick Fury rolls his eyes* *everyone ignores him*

Blog: https://weridasusual.home.blog/

[Snapper]

@dekreel

 

Oohh…good question.

 

First off, if you need to make me a villain so other characters don’t have to die, you may do so. Just so long as I don’t eat anyone.

 

Secondly…you could…um….maybe one by one they could be tempted to eat ice cream, which puts them into a sugar coma until the end of the story? Ice cream brain freeze?

 

They could be eaten by Shelob?

Aha…no.

 

 

 

 

☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀

[Snapper]

And I used way to many extra spaces in there.

☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀

[Kate Flournoy]

@Dekreel I like what they suggested. 😉

INFP. kateeverythingwriting.wordpress.com

[Joy]

@sam-kowal  @that_writer_girl_99  @daughteroftheking  @dragon-snapper

Thanks all! Good ideas!

You can pronounce it however you want.

[Joy]

Okayyy that was weird

You can pronounce it however you want.

[Catwing]

@dekreel

I am sneaky and may wander off to hunt food stuffs… or hide from the villain. Of course then I could rescue the others. 😁

😏 She doesn’t think I could fly across an ocean. *laughs* I can. Catwings are gifted in that way. 😉 But if I did leave there would be a very good reason. Like getting me friends. ( @dragon-snapper @jessi-Rae know what I’m talking about. *smirks* Catwing army.)

It may seem like I have left. But I can lurk in the shadows. 🙃

As if I couldn’t fake my own death. Ha!

Other persons could get captured…

Oh! Here’s funny idea. If I get locked up I may be able to squeeze through the bars. Or another small character could. 😉 Those standard bars are too wide.

The team could get split up.

They above have some good ideas.

IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!

[Catwing]

Test

IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!

[Catwing]

Must fix this…

Come on…

[Jenna Terese]

Of course, when killing off a character, you don’t want readers to feel that they died for no reason. And if the reader didn’t feel connected with the character, it won’t resonate with them as much. The character needs to be made memorable first before thinking about killing him/her off.

That being said, a character dying because of a sacrifice they had to make to save others or those they love or care about is always a tear-jerker *sniffs* If the death is interwoven into the plot, that’s great. Even better if the death changes the plot.

I hope this helps! 😊

I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com

[Audrey Caylin]

@dekreel

You could have them vanish into a portal, and have the person who created the portal kindly tell the remaining characters that the other ones “are perfectly happy” (it’s pretty cliche, but could work 😉 )

You could just have a quick scene where the characters are leaving to fight for other noble causes.

You could have them kidnapped.

You could have them get lost in a giant maze. (maybe the archives of the Kingdom of Pen 😉 )

Oooh *bounces* if you have to get rid of me, can I be dragged into the sky by my cape? It’s a levitating cape, and misbehaves terribly. It could come up behind me and grab me, and I’d go up and up into the sky 😛 😀

audreycaylin.com

[Author]

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