It’s a tragedy. Seriously. I have to write one. For a character that I’ve grown to love. The character has to die. I created someone, gave him an identity, a personality – and now I have to kill him off. I tweeted about it a while ago, and I’m still dragging my feet, looking for any way to save him. He could have been a hero, but he has to die – in a brutal and shocking way. Otherwise, there isn’t a big enough catalyst for the rest of the book.
#!#@!!%#@!
I’ve never written a tragedy. Quite honestly, with only one novel done, there’s a lot I haven’t written. ROFCOL… Tragedies make me cry. Good thing I’m not using paper and ink – I’m having a hard enough time keeping the keyboard dry.
Everybody knows that a tragedy affects every character and changes the course of events. After it happens, no one goes on their merry way. So for the tragedy to be a believable read, it has to have been so written. Therein lies my problem. I don’t like to dwell on sadness and grief so I want to jot it down and keep going. But I can’t. I have to honor the character and readers by exploring every consequence of the character’s death.
Sigh… Better make a Kleenex run.
I can tell you how I did it on my book. I am writing about six self-involved and somewhat reckless teenagers. I needed something drastic to shake them up, so I had one of them nearly die. It was enough to make the rest of them realize two major things that most 16 year olds don’t know: they are not invincible and they need to move passed all the petty crap in life in order to be greatful for what they do have because it can be taken away at any moment.
Hoep I helped
Thanks!!