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Okay, when I first read that paragraph about Malyk dying, I thought you mean EVERTON was going to die, and I was really sad because I love what I’ve read about him…. (totally not stalking him or anything, lol)
But you didn’t, so we’re good. đ đ
Aaaanyway, yes, I totally get it. I struggled with killing off any of my charries for a long time because I loved them too much (there was a WIP I wrote about a war, and literally only people on the evil side died. it was very baaaaad XD). Depending on your story, you may need someone to die, you might not, but I don’t know all the details. There are really great stories where no one dies at all, because there’s no purpose.
That being said, I’d look for a way that would naturally fit into your story. Obviously you don’t want to force it, so is there a character that you can have die without altering the entire storyline?
Malyk’s death would fit into the “trusting God in the dark” theme. So maybe you could do another death (Dao or someone else), just make it somehow not sacrificial? Someone important to either Ami or Ev. It could be for Ami and then she and Ev would have it in common and be able to talk it out or something, or it could be someone they both know that would bring them closer (OR push them farther apart, depending on how you write it).
If you feel like it would make the story more believable to have another death or two, then I say go for it. If it would throw your story and not add anything to it, then maybe hold off. A death could play into Amidala’s anxiety/worry, or it could take the focus off of her more important problems for the whole story. So yeah, there’s a lot of details to think about.
Let me know if that made sense, lol, that’s just what went through my mind.đ
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
Not sure if this will at all help, but here’s my approach to titles.
I think titles are always more interesting if they do not connect to what the characters are doing, but to the inner conflicts, themes, and messages of the book, origins, or a struggle. Idk, I like abstract titles that make you think. So I’d focus on what the emotions of the book are the most when brainstorming.
Is there a major conflict surrounding fear? Guilt (I mean they did do bounty hunting…)? it sounds like trying to find there place in the universe is the best starting point idea to me, but idk. And you can always look up synonyms if you have an idea you like that doesn’t sound good when said aloud.
I know that wasn’t super specific, that’s just what my brainstorming process looks like lol
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
@freedomwriter76
WHAT DEATH NO! *whispers* who are you killing đ
I agree with what everyone else is saying! Especially with what Godly was saying about giving the mentor goals. To make the death sort of unexpected, and the reader doesn’t think it’ll actually happen. Kinda like in The First Avenger when you’re like “Noooo Steve can’t die, he still has to dance with Peggy.” (Horrible example cuz he doesn’t really die, but I hope you get what I’m laying down. XD)
I also get my charrie death inspo from other charrie deaths. Soooo my advice is do whatever these authors/movies do… đ (and what everyone else said, but this is just the new advice I have XD)
– Boromir in Lotr (fighting till the end, asking for forgiveness, relationship with Merry and Pippin, etc.)
– Black Widow (sacrificing herself for everyone else, even fighting Clint to do so)
– Thorin from The Hobbit (character development from not going out to fight at all to let himself get stabbed in order to give Azog the death blow)
– Janner (realization of how selfish he was and then freed to love freely and be at peace in order to save his brother)
I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child
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@euodia-vision Yesss, someone is dying đ lol…idk if you know them yet, actually!!! đ
(yeah, i get you XD) Tysm for that, greatly appreciated!!! Also love the examples, and thank you for explaining a bit, bc Nat is the only one I know out of those examples đ¤Ł
again, tysm!!! â¤ď¸
@freedomwriter76
Yesss, someone is dying đ lolâŚidk if you know them yet, actually!!! đ
oh dearrrr, those are the scariest… which story is this for?
(yeah, i get you XD) Tysm for that, greatly appreciated!!! Also love the examples, and thank you for explaining a bit, bc Nat is the only one I know out of those examples đ¤Ł
OH NO! I thought you’d seen/read those before!!!!!! *knocks head against the wall* SPOILER ALERT OF WHO DIES!
I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child
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They are. XD It’s for my main WIP with Leon/Riker đ
It’s totally ok!!! i haven’t read anything like LOTR or anything like that, lol…but it’s ok đ
@esther-c I agree what everyone else has said. If deaths donât fit with your story then donât try to force them. It wonât work, itâll just look sloppy andâŚwellâŚobviously forced.
That being said, if youâre really set on killing off someone, or multiple someoneâs, it doesnât have to be a Main character.
I have quite a few side/background characters who die in my series, but not one of my MCs âtechnicallyâ dieâŚ
I meanâŚ
Not reallyâŚ
Cuz of the uhhâŚuse of the âOH THEY ARENâT ACTUALLY DEADâ trope
But even with this you gotta be careful just killing off ppl Willy Nilly. It is a good plot device, however bad that sounds, it is. Canât help it, it has become that.
But we canât always use that ya know?
There are a lot of other ways to get the same kinds of feelings that death can bring to us in fiction.
AndâŚyou donât have to physically kill a character toâŚkill them.
What about death emotionally? Spiritually?
Someone becoming so numb they might as well be dead? Sometimes that hurts us worse then a beloved characters actual death.
Sometimes, especially as Christianâs, real death for a loved, saved character brings hope. But what about a character who becomes spiritually dead? Or emotionally dead?
Sometimes we can reach and even deeper feeling of emotion with these kinds of stories then the other.
You can never kill a character off but still have people walk away from your work feeling like a character died.
Because they did. JustâŚnot physically.
Thereâs more then one way to skin a cat.
And thereâs more then one way to kill a person.
AHEMâŚanyway XD
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@freedomwriter76
I think a general rule of thumb for charecter deaths can be some up in that your character death should cause you (as the author) to be legitimately sad (or at least make you feel in some way) and not just be like well I checked if a box yay. On a topic of if you just want to find a way to add urgency and lack of safety to your series, kind of what Godlyfantasy was saying, is to allow characters to be permanently physically damaged (ie losing a body part or devolving PTSD) as this doesnât kill the charecter but if done correctly will still generate about the same amount of trama for the reader and characters. If you do this just make sure that the characters new wound actually plays into the story and is not just ignored.
I will say though when deciding if you want to kill a character(s) it is important to know the theme of your story for example if we look at all quiet on the western front (possibly one of the best and most troubling WWI novels) MC (including the actual protagonist) and main side characters die all the time and often for no good reason. However this all builds to the theme that war is ultimately a futile waste of life. On the flip side if you are writing a novel about a happy family for 6 year olds just killing people for no good reason is not a good Idea.
@freedomwriter76
They are. XD Itâs for my main WIP with Leon/Riker đ
Gotcha. Yup, I sadly don’t know much about that WIP…
Itâs totally ok!!! i havenât read anything like LOTR or anything like that, lolâŚbut itâs ok đ
*gasps* GIRL WHAT!
I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child
@whalekeeper @kyronthearcanin @folith-feolin @godlyfantasy12
Thanks yâall for the help!!
I almost forgot, but one charrie is going to have a negative arc, so I guess that could be what Godly called, like, becoming numb or dying spiritually/emotionally.
And I think another charrie is going to receive a life threatening injury and itâs going to affect Ami a lot.
Thanks again!
Write what should not be forgotten. â Isabel Allende
ANOTHER QUESTION PPLS!! (Told yâall Iâd have a lot XD which is why I made this forum XD XD)
SoâŚ
With my current WIP (like current one, book 1) AâGrend is slowly morphing into what it needs to be in my mind.
Its no longer the perfect kingdom it originally was but it now has its cracks and things within the structure, and itâs becoming what it needs to be for the book to work, however there are still some things that need to be addressed that I need some help with.
The kingdom of AâGrend was birthed from the idea of a type and shadow of the Garden of Eden. A protected âpromise landâ of sorts, created by God (the Light One as He is called in my series) for people who serve Him.
Its a safe haven for people of all creeds, race and all species of creature.
Theres no racial discord of that sort. No real hierarchy when it comes to monetary gain, in the way that there are âpoorâ people.
Yes there are those who might be considered âwealthy?â But it doesnât really affect anyone, in the way that there are beggars or anything.
AâGrend doesnât have any of that.
It doesnât have war, pestilence, etc.
However, it still has people. And with people coke issues, obviously.
Where the cracks begin to form is, while thereâs no Racial prejudice, the people form their own prejudice in other ways.
Example: November. Heâs considered a jinx due to his lack of coordination and trouble seems to follow him. He also has no âApprenticeship or job.â
In the eyes of the people in the kingdom, this has become a disdainful thing, although there was never really precedent set by anyone. Itâs just one of those things that they set up âOh, he doesnât have an apprenticeship, he must be lazy, or ill-fit to work anywhere. No one wants him, etc.â
Anyway, where Iâm struggling some is there view of the Royals- Ara and her family.
The royals consist of Ara, her parents (the King and Queen) and her Grandfather (who, with his late wife, founded AâGrend when he was just a boy. The kingdom is actually quite young still, but they e accomplished a lot (think America))
Separate from the royals, but a part of Araâs family is her Uncle, Daniel, but he is the kingdomâs Priest, so he isnât considered a Royal per say, but a separate entity, held in high regard itself.
Due to the way AâGrend is set up, the kingdom belongs to God, not Araâs family, and so their just placed over it as Heads (think like your pastors) to shepherd and guide the people.
They seek out the Lordâs guidance and do what he asks, help with large decisions, growth, squabbles, etc, but mostly are there to counsel.
That being said, theyâve become more of a symbol then anything, not that that is Godâs will, but that is now how the people view them.
They were treated with the respect they deserved once upon a time, but slowly thatâs been declining, especially on Arabellaâs end.
The people are starting to feel they have no right to âlead themâ or see them as just symbols and nothing more.
Anyway my struggle is showing this and it not being weird? Because likeâŚsheâs the princessâŚand their royalsâŚ
Ur just gonna blatantly disrespect them?
Like not blatantly maybe but you can tell they donât care what Ara has to say or do, and they donât care about her in general.
And I just donât want that to be weird for the readers?? Since they donât understand how AâGrend works rn (like most kingdoms if u disrespect a Royal youâre going to prison or something XD)
maybe this is a weird question butâŚyea just wondering how to not make the readers confused or make it weirdâŚ?
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebNo probs, you’ll do great!!
Oki-dokie I love trying to help with these XD
The first question that comes to mind, is, why are the people resentful of the royal family? Why are they low-key rebelling?
There should be a clear, important reason – that requires action.
I can see the whole ‘royalty’s just a symbol’ being a valid reason, but only if it has negative effects on the people. If them being a symbol doesn’t harm the people in any way, physically or emotionally, then it doesn’t make sense.
But let’s say the royal family has become the model family for the kingdom – more perfect, more righteous, more beautiful in every way. That makes sense. It hurts the people very much emotionally, because they are being forced socially to imitate their rulers.
Or the royal family is given more benefits – riches, education, protection – even though they don’t actually do anything for the kingdom. In that case, maybe poorer people’s living is sacrificed for them. That is a legitimate concern.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, if there isn’t a relevant, important reason to hold a grudge against them, then there shouldn’t be any major problems. Hating the royal family for just being ‘royal’ is a huge leap, especially when their kingdom has been such a fruitful paradise. This kingdom, since you described it as the Garden of Eden, is practically perfect.
How you described the royal family reminds me of Frank and Helen, from Chronicles of Narnia. They were chosen, out of the few humans in the new world, to become the first king and queen of Narnia. There were others that could have been chosen. Frank and Helen weren’t even part of the world in the first place. Why should they rule?
But the animals (and various magical beings) weren’t bothered at all, because they were happy and content with the amazing home Aslan had given them. Basically, why even care? They already had everything.
If you have a bunch of people living in a paradise kingdom, they would be pretty happy, I’d imagine.
So don’t just HATE ON THEM because they’re symbols. HATE ON THEM because them being symbols HURTS the people, in an ACTIVE, obvious way. Otherwise, your kingdom’s citizens look like they’ve lost their marbles, out of the blue.
You’ll figure it out, gurl!! đ
âEverything is a mountainâ
Oh, and be sure to show how the people are being negatively affected through actions, not just dialogue. Give examples, in some of the charries’ lives, of why the people feel this way.
âEverything is a mountainâ
Yes! Love that! So I didnât mention, but this actually starts due to Araâs mistake in the Garden.
Snakes or serpents in AâGrend are considered Death or Taboo, but also when Ara makes this mistake, her grandma (one of the founders of AâGrend) dies due to it.
Obviously this is still STUPID because Ara was a CHILD so the people being like âBecause of this childâs mistake they arenât fit to rule us anymore!â Is dumb but we ALL know how ppl are.
plus they arenât coming out and saying that outright.
Itâs just the small thought of that thatâs been growing ever since that incident, (Ara was 8 when it took place, sheâs 14 in this book now so itâs had a few years for more cracks to form)
but yea
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
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*gasps* GIRL WHAT!
What??? listen, girl, I don’t read fantasy XD The only fantasy I’ve read is The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe xD I can just never get around to reading it… đđ i’m also not a huge fan of most portrayals of magic, so…yea…
i read an old fantasy 4-book series but have since gotten rid of them, and idk what it’s called anymore anyhow, lol
@folith-feolin thanks! greatly appreciated! <3
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