By Jason Borrego
Killing Characters
Killing Characters is it really hard for an author to murder someone their put their heart and soul into—the simple answer is yes.
Writing is a passion that takes many dark turns. Some of the best authors have surprised readers by killing the main character at the end of their books. George R. R. Martin is often is the first person people think of—he kills everyone his readers love—almost. Yet, he is not alone. J.K Rowling also played with the idea of killing Ron Weasley to help eliminate the love triangle between Harry and Hermione. However, she choose a different direction. Was it wrong or right? Only she holds the key.
This tasteless art is frowned upon by many writers in genres across the board. Surveying hundreds of writers at various writer conferences has given me valuable insight into the process. For many authors killing heroes or sub heroes is actually plotted in the beginning of the writing process. However, as time ticks away and the characters become real, the authors second guess their climatic ending and often elects to go with a softer gentler ending.
I have experienced this in my own writing. However, when I watch a season finale for some of my favorite shows I almost expect a tragic death to go along with the plot twist. The problem from my point of view is that as a writer we spend so much time detailing and developing a character it often feels like a waste when that person is plotted to die. Yet, the reality is the reader gets butterflies in his/her stomach and the act of taking such a deep character literally takes their breath away. So in my opinion the act of killing a hero is justified by the emotional response (both good and bad). This doesn’t mean a writer should plot the death of every main character—it means the author should keep the reader guessing. If the hero survives everything with little to no harm than the emotional attachment will be limited.