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@euodia-vision @trailblazer @hybridlore @thearcaneaxiom @acancello @esther-c @jonas @grcr @savannah_grace2009 @power @rae and anyone else:
What are some good reasons to kill MCs? I have to kill two of them in this one scene because if I don’t, the only option is to use a Deus ex machina, or throw out the scene.
Basically, two characters are under attack by wendigos. Please look them up if you don’t know what they are; if you do, you’ll understand why my options are so limited. I want the character deaths to be more than, “Oh, they just ran into some monsters,” but I’m not sure how to pull that off.
What’s wrong with the characters dying because they just ran into the monsters?
"Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12
Just wondering, cause I can’t think of any other way to do it XD
"Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12
One thing to consider is that a character’s death should mean something. I know this isn’t exactly what you were asking for, but I think it’s related. So in this scene, two MC get attacked by wendigos (nice to meet someone else who knows they’re a thing btw lol) and you feel that they have to die, or else their escape would feel like Deus ex Machina? Given my understanding of what’s happening, I don’t think killing them both off is a good idea. Readers would probably get angry if two characters they are invested in are killed for no reason.
Is there a way you could have one character save the other? That way, you both manage to save one character, and make the other’s death more meaningful. If that for some reason isn’t an option, I would say it might be better to get rid of or heavily rewrite the scene.
Another thing to think about if you’re worried about Deus ex Machina, is that no matter what, if one of the characters dies, it won’t feel as cheap, since we lost a MC.
I know what you were asking for is a good reason for the characters to die, but I kind of think that the problem is more that you accidentally created a situation where you don’t feel like the characters should be able to escape.
In short, my advice is to either figure out a way that one character can sacrifice the self to save the other, or rewrite it in a way that at least one of the characters can believably escape.
Now to actually answer your question about reasons to kill them.
You want your character’s death to be meaningful to their character arc. I don’t know anything about your characters, so I can’t be specific, but their death should pretty much resolve their arc. Consider these things about your characters:
- Where were they heading, from a character arc perspective? How were they changing, and what would be the next step? How would they end up?
- How can dying now enhance their character arc? Can they die in a way that completes their arc? Alternatively, can they die in a way that is the opposite, where they go backwards on the way they were changing?
The main thing is that you do not want these characters to be killed by wendigos simply because there wasn’t a realistic way to escape. That might be realistic, but it would be unsatisfying in a story.
That was really long, but hopefully it makes sense. If you have any questions about what I said, or need clarification, I’d be happy to help.
🏰 Fantasy Writer
✨ Magic System Creator
🎭 Character RPer
📚 Appreciator of BooksThe problem with that is that character deaths should be meaningful. I think what we’re talking about is an out-of-universe reason for their deaths. In-universe, I see no problem with the “reason” (more like cause) for a character death being that they ran into monsters. There’s nothing less satisfying than characters just “randomly” being killed. Pretty sure that’s what this discussion is about, if you have any thoughts on that.
🏰 Fantasy Writer
✨ Magic System Creator
🎭 Character RPer
📚 Appreciator of BooksI also second everything Jonas has said, so I don’t have much to add, but here’s some of my thoughts.
It really comes down to many factors involved with the character’s development if there is any (a static character is still a valid character), the reader’s degree of investment in that character, the impact the character would continue to have on the story if you don’t kill them off, and the impact the character’s death would have on both the readers and the other characters.
Once you kill a character off, you remove all future interactions and dynamics with that character where many emotions can be felt, in favor of a single gut punch (unless you resurrect them, but that’s another can of worms), so you need to consider that cost.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
I continue the motion of what @jonas said. Good advice.
"You need French Toast."
Thank you, that was very helpful! I actually do have a way to save one character, as you were suggesting. And thank you, everyone, for the advice.
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