Help on writing an impactful last day

[Ruth]

I have a character who I won’t name because some of you might know them, but they’re about to die and they know it.

Any tips on how they can have an impactful last day with their friends?

 

If anyone also has questions related to mine they’d like to ask here, feel free 🙂

"YOU NEED MORE FRIENDS! Ignore me, just talking to LEGOs" -Me
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)

[whaley]

Hm. I have a couple characters who go through the same thing. One has a few days, the other has a suspicion of their own death and only becomes sure of it in the last few hours.

I think it depends on how much of a communicator they are, and what kind of legacy they want to leave behind.

Character A might tell his friends immediately (or not long after he finds out) because he feels strongly connected to them, doesn’t want to be dishonest, or would feel alone if he kept the secret to himself. Character B, on the other hand, might not want to worry his friends on his last day. It would be difficult for some people to have their friends crying and loving all over them.

Many fictional characters just don’t tell anyone. Instead, they write letters for their loved ones and leave them somewhere for later. They might be extra appreciative of their friends and family, giving them extra hugs or caring words. They want to leave a loving impression before they go.

Everyone wants to leave a good legacy. However they decide to leave it, it can give real insight into their development over the course of the story, or insight into their deepest vulnerability and insecurities. This part depends on what your character is like.

Anywho, that’s how I do it, and how many writers and directors do it.

"If I don't like something, it's probably sanctification. Ugh." -E.C.S.

[The Ducktator]

@rae

This had better not be Baron!

I’ve been wondering this too. One of my characters is in a similar predicament. Like Whaley suggested, she wrote letters to those she loved. Some of this will depend on whether your character is at peace with their death or not. *subscribes because I’m stuck too*

Any salad can be a Caesar salad if you stab it hard enough.

[Ruth]

@theducktator @whalekeeper

Thank you for the advice!

 

"YOU NEED MORE FRIENDS! Ignore me, just talking to LEGOs" -Me
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)

[Elishavet Elroi]

@rae

Whaley and Ducky have great advice! *takes notes* I don’t have much practice with fiction in this department, but this is a great question, so I’ll share my thoughts.

I’ve been with a few people in the days or even hours before they died, but they were all very ill and usually could not communicate. However, notes from what I have heard are:

Last words. These aren’t usually as dramatic as fiction makes them, but they can be really important as they will either comfort or distress a person’s survivors. They are also not often right before the person passes, instead expressed earlier depending on the person’s cognitive awareness. (In fact, they might work as a more subtle form of foreshadowing.) I’ve heard of about four kinds.

Last advice. This is usually from older people, but not always. It’s usually really simple, but not always.

Words of comfort. For instance, the cancer ridden son telling his mother it’ll be okay, God is taking him home. Or the older saint telling his pastor he still believes in God’s power and plan.

Regret. This is really sad, and can push the giving of advice into expressing despair.

Forgiveness. It could be forgiing an enemy, or even be as simple as a young woman with brain cancer making sure there she had not offended her friends in some way.

From literature specifically, I loved it when the Wingfeather family sings to *Spoiler* as he quietly slips away from life. This paused the moment and emphasized the relationship between them all while not interrupting the pace of the story like a Shakespearian monologue would. In Ember Rising, I liked how *Spoiler* shouts encouragement to the young bucks he sent as messengers right before his band is overwhelmed. It underscored everything he lived for, and it really impacted me the first time I read it. And I could think of more, but this has been long enough. XD

I will say, I have never been with someone at the moment of death. I am thankful for that, but I also understand the weight that comes from not being able to say last goodbyes. It hurts for a long time.

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[TheShadow]

@rae

If you’ve ever read White Fang, there’s one part in the beginning where this guy knows he’s going to be eaten by wolves, and as he’s attempting to survive despite them, he’s described as appreciating his body a lot more than he ever did before. For instance, he begins studying his hand and the way it’s made, at the intricacies of each print and the way it moves. You could have something similar to this where the person begins appreciating things he or she never really did before. Or, the character could be in denial the entire time and attempt to do things they put off or never got a chance to do while they were alive (i.e. tell someone they’re sorry, forgive another person, travel somewhere).

“Our house is full of ducks!!!!”

[Author]

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