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May 5, 2023 at 12:48 pm #142292Anonymous
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@godlyfantasy12 ooh, now that’s a good one!!! šš
May 5, 2023 at 12:53 pm #142297Anonymous- Rank: Chosen One
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@godlyfantasy12 @euodia-vision @folith-feolin @otherworldlyhistorian @loopylin @sarafini @kyronthearcanin @anyone-else-in-this-forum-lol-XD
Sooooo…to make a long story short, I’m currently creeping up on the 2nd character death of my WIP š
I’ve had this idea for a long, LONG time, and sadly the charrie MUST die, but I’m worried about copying another trope XD
bc, you see…a mentor figure is about to die.
he technically sacrifices himself, taking the full blame of treason, and thus protecting one of my MCs from arrest/death. I know how/why/when he dies, but….I know the “mentor dies” trope is a recurring trope that some people may be tired of
and i’m kinda lost on how to avoid readers being like “oh yeah, totally haven’t seen this before š”
i meannnn…i guess no one will think that way if they love the charrie enough, but still XD
any advice???
May 5, 2023 at 1:01 pm #142299@freedomwriter76
SOB I THINK IK WHO UR TALKING ABOUT ANDā¦. *wrenches over grasping heartā¦*
Yea, honestly it usually comes down to how it is written.
if it is written Cliche, then it will be Cliche, does that make sense? But at the same time, that doesnāt always matter, because even if itās cliche, if the character is loved, people arenāt going to care.
Sometimesā¦(I cannot believe I am saying this because I hate this because it BREAKS MY HEART TO PIECESā¦)
But sometimes a way to really plot twist someone, or make someone believe a character isnāt going to die, AND THEN U KILL THEM, is by giving the reader and that character something to look forward to.
And then the reader says āWell they CANāT die, because THIS has to happen!ā
NOPE! They dieā¦
Maybe itās a love interest they leave behind. Maybe a child or family member they cared for. Maybe itās something unfinished that even if you knew they were going to die, you thought theyād at least finish that before they did!
This kinda happens in my series?? (But also not because Iā¦uhhā¦use the āOH LOOK THEY ARENāT DEADā trope? Whichā¦I also worry about using HEH XD but this isnāt about my insecurities ahemā¦.
but if ur really worried about it thatās a good way to kinda help.
Otherwise? Iād focus on making the character genuine and lovable, then it wonāt really matter.
Also, donāt look at it as the Mentor Dies trope.
Don’t look at him as the Mentor.
look at him as his own individual person. To him, heās is his own person. He has a life. He may not even see himself as a mentor. Heās just trying to do whatās right, maybe failing some along the way, but we never see that.
Every character, even side characters who donāt have POVs have a story. Donāt focus on the Tropes of characters or who a charactersĀ isĀ within a Book Personality, but who they are individually.
They might be the Best Friend, but theyāre so much more.
does that make sense???
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 5, 2023 at 1:02 pm #142300Me getting philosophical cuz I absolutely luv characters XD
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 5, 2023 at 1:07 pm #142302Anonymous- Rank: Chosen One
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@godlyfantasy12 Ahhh, tysm!!! That’s so helpful!!! I loved that so much!!!
and now i have an idea for 2 charries to have unfinished dreams/motivations…oh no š i do like that trope tho, even though it is sad
alsoooo…are you SURE you know who I’m talking about??? XD
May 5, 2023 at 1:16 pm #142303@freedomwriter76
How many charries are you killing?? Bc they need donuts and hugs more than anything else honestly…
#ProtectAdolinKholin
May 5, 2023 at 1:17 pm #142305@freedomwriter76
Well I have some time right now in between the end of my AP Euro test (the most fun Iāve had all week) and going to my next class so I will try to make a proposition.
You should be fine killing the mentor itās normally that people donāt like tropes because either they can figure out some major plot twist solely on tropes or the tropes make the scene feel overused and not meaningful. As long as your mentor character is a well crafted character that feels more like a person than a trope you will be fine. If youāre worried about people not liking the death because they already know it will happen that shouldnāt matter if the charries are crafted well enough. For example look at the fault in our stars by John Green.
May 5, 2023 at 1:18 pm #142308@freedomwriter76
Arrgh, I know! I had to do this same thing a while back, and grr it’s so frustrating because sometimes it just has to be done… I mean, tropes became tropes because everyone thought they were a good idea, sooo…. There must be something there, right? XD
Anyway, I’ve got a few random thoughts (this might not be helpful because I have no idea who the charrie is XD, unlike @godlyfantasy12 might, heh). First of all, realize the trope doesn’t have to be ‘avoided’ completely. Use your mentor’s personality/situation to change things up a little. For example, my mentor was old, like a lot of mentors lol, but he had this really strange (almost goofy???) personality that kind of made the whole situation really different, because he couldn’t be like that in this kind of situation, but he still… tried to be. Kind of a mad but also wise kind of thing, I guess (i know, i’m bordering on another trope there XD) . This might not help you at all, but it just came to mind, so I thought I’d share. š¤£
Also, the build up to the death could play into it. (there may not be one, it might be a kind of sudden thing, but idk). It could be either completely unexpected or long-awaited, depending on how you put it together, but there are multiple ways of going about it. Or it could be how he faces his death- calm, or terrified, or angry, etc. It depends on the charrie.
So, this is just how I see it, but I’d say just decide depending on what fits the story and the characters. It’s going to feel forced if you write the scene around a trope. Changing things up within the trope is what can make it perfect, because tropes really can turn out well, too, though I wouldn’t try for them. The sacrificial death thing, for example, that’s real. I mean, Jesus sacrificed himself for us, and we wouldn’t go around calling that a trope.
Anyway, those are just my thoughts. š š
- This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Ava Murbarger (Solfyre).
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
May 5, 2023 at 1:23 pm #142311@freedomwriter76 Iām pretty sureā¦.
BUT GIRL IF IT IS SOMEONE I LOVE MORE (no offense to the Charrie I think it is) WE ARE GONNA HAVE PROBLEMSā¦.
U ALREADY TOOK ONE OF MY BABIES FROM MEā¦.
(the one I ACTUALLY cried over. U KNOW WHO I AM TALKING ABOUTā¦)
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 5, 2023 at 1:47 pm #142321Anonymous- Rank: Chosen One
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@folith-feolin Thanks! š
@kyronthearcanin Tysm for all of that! <3 Definitely gives me some things to think about!!! And I guess mine is already a little different…this mentor character isn’t old. In fact, he’s only like 38…although that adds an even sadder note to it š
@godlyfantasy12 heh…yea….no more babies (for now, at least š )i get what you mean tho…I made myself cry over my own writing earlier today…just reading the last appearance of the 1st character to die before they diedššš
@whalekeeper UhM…WElL…uh…for this one WIP…4 šlisten y’all, I’m writing about WWII, y’all have to forgive meh!!! XD These deaths are sadly necessary!!!
May 5, 2023 at 1:49 pm #142322Anonymous- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@whalekeeper scratch that, make it 5 š
May 5, 2023 at 2:40 pm #142332@freedomwriter76
Awesome! Well I guess he already has something a little different about him, then, so that worked out! š
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
May 5, 2023 at 2:46 pm #142334Anonymous- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@kyronthearcanin Yep!! š
May 5, 2023 at 2:49 pm #142335Idk who to tag soā¦ here we go!
I have a question concerning my trilogy. This is also concerning plot twists/character deaths, so read at your own risk!!
*ahem*
Alrighty. Now for the actually problem.
In my whole trilogy, only one important character diesā¦
I feel like I need more characters to die.
š
Now I know that sounds like I may be trying to be like other authors, but thatās not the point.
So, the first character death is Evertonās (one of the MCs) dad, Malyk. This is reeeeaaallllyyy important, because its the climax of their reconciliation to each other and it plays a huuuuuge role in Evās character arc. Heās the only important charrie so far who dies. But something feels off.
You see, Amidalaās (the other MC) family seems to be pretty perfect. But as time goes on, tension builds up and they have some issues. I was gonna keep it just like that, but I donāt know any more. Nobody in Amiās family dies, and I feel like one should. There are two reasons why I canāt decide. 1) I love them too much. XD 2) Iām not sure if thereās a purpose. Amiās struggle throughout the whole trilogy is trusting God and letting go of her worry and anxiety.
There is also another character, Dao, who I may have die. He helps the group (Ev and Amiās families) as they travel and shows up sometimes. I almost want him to be the Jesus-figure, but keep in mind this story isĀ notĀ an allegory, though it has multipleĀ analogies. Daoā¦ wellā¦ I still have to figure him out some. Heās keeping lots of secrets from me and I canāt seem to figure them out. Heās kind of a complicated character. The problem with having him die, is that the theme of the book is not sacrifice. The theme has to do with trusting God in the dark.
I donāt know if any of that made sense. š But if yāall have any ideas or advice or an opinion, Iād love to hear it!! š (And Iāll be happy to answer any questions. Because I donāt know if any of the above made enough sense. š)
Write what should not be forgotten. ā Isabel Allende
May 5, 2023 at 3:02 pm #142337I’d say, first off the bat, that killing off a character doesn’t automatically make a book better. If you are going to kill off someone, it’s important to have a specific reason – to highlight the power of the villain, finish an arc, make a thematic point – instead of doing it just because you feel like it’ll make things better. I would recommend finding a reason to write another death, and a good one at that.
Maybe give me more specifics on your book’s world and plot? And whatever other themes you want to convey (plus just overall vibes)?
@everyone
This all applies to me too, actually XD I am currently deciding on whether or not to kill a charrie in my newest story (the one with Thorn, Cal, etc). But I think I’m going to do it, because it will perfectly conclude an arc. This death actually makes me a little emotional – which isn’t normal for me… the charrie and I have a lot in common.
#ProtectAdolinKholin
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