tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post3321119561902466316..comments2024-03-12T18:52:31.920-04:00Comments on Write with Fey: Should You Kill Off Your Protagonist?Chrys Feyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-31817942901067474982015-05-18T09:05:45.132-04:002015-05-18T09:05:45.132-04:00Thanks, Ash! :)Thanks, Ash! :)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-3379818727768007172015-05-17T18:03:10.059-04:002015-05-17T18:03:10.059-04:00In A Separate Peace, also.In A Separate Peace, also.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06002842967203199859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-70275836020360467272013-12-20T12:21:58.352-05:002013-12-20T12:21:58.352-05:00That sounds like an amazing story, Claudine! I hop...That sounds like an amazing story, Claudine! I hope your story gets accepted because I want to read it! :DChrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-350383352108408562013-12-20T08:13:25.010-05:002013-12-20T08:13:25.010-05:00Wholeheartedly with you on not doing it as a shock...Wholeheartedly with you on not doing it as a shock tactic. Kill him/her off if the story requires, but not for the main purpose of shocking your readers. I have recently submitted a short story (my main character is 13, and she is dying). Her life and impending doom are mentioned throughout but the focus is kept on her wish to survive. So even though in the end, readers don't know for sure if she's going to live or die, they know for sure her aim and wishes and struggles. Great post again, Chrys! Yanting Guehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04788603550626277974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-90823919950900541582013-12-18T11:15:31.329-05:002013-12-18T11:15:31.329-05:00The story certainly does impact whether or not you...The story certainly does impact whether or not you should or should not kill of your protagonist. You can't just kill off an MC or even a minor character because you want to shock your readers. Although it is fun to do that, there has to be a reason for it and it has to fit the story line.<br /><br />I have thought about it too, Gina. ;)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-69225697297268705232013-12-18T06:39:50.537-05:002013-12-18T06:39:50.537-05:00The choice of whether or not you should kill your ...The choice of whether or not you should kill your protagonist lies within the meaning and outcome of your story. With that being said, I think a protagonist should only meet his/her final end if it is absolutely necessary for the book. As much as I hate to write and read stories where the protagonist dies, I often think about what it would be like to write a piece where something like this happens; just to challenge myself. But like you said; readers tend to enjoy happy endings so if a writer is going to kill their protagonist, it simply has to make sense for the book's entirety. Great post, Chrys! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14498810090279251726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-12474303225846026852013-12-17T15:50:16.900-05:002013-12-17T15:50:16.900-05:00That's a great example, Alex! I've worked ...That's a great example, Alex! I've worked with deaths of minor characters that I know will upset my readers, but so far all of my protagonists are alive. ;)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-72643456975859937382013-12-17T15:47:58.903-05:002013-12-17T15:47:58.903-05:00Thank you for the list, Joseph. :)Thank you for the list, Joseph. :)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-76891245624713977372013-12-17T15:46:54.973-05:002013-12-17T15:46:54.973-05:00In one of my short stories the MC is a ghost, so I...In one of my short stories the MC is a ghost, so I guess you can say I killed her. lol I'm with you that I can't kill my protagonists in my novels. They may come close to death, or I may kill them but bring them back to life. lol Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-43988075984779366912013-12-17T15:44:19.361-05:002013-12-17T15:44:19.361-05:00It definitely does depend on the writer and the st...It definitely does depend on the writer and the story. Some stories just call for the death of the protagonist. As a writer, I'm not against it entirely. As a reader though, it does upset me. lol<br /><br />Yes, this post is directed more toward genre fiction. Readers don't very much like it when the heroes of romances or the MC in mysteries, thrillers, or suspense stories gets killed. Literary fiction is pretty different and is handled a little differently by writers. Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-37591139898837826802013-12-17T15:36:01.105-05:002013-12-17T15:36:01.105-05:00The MC from my supernatural-thriller series come b...The MC from my supernatural-thriller series come back from the dead a few times lol . . . because I could never fully kill her. And it is extremely fun! ;)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-5671418635471105142013-12-17T13:19:08.497-05:002013-12-17T13:19:08.497-05:00Actually, I have. (Spoiler) In my first book, ther...Actually, I have. (Spoiler) In my first book, there were two main characters, and in order to get the one to the place he needed to be, the other had to die. Wasn't an easy decision. (And I did finish out my series with the other character - he didn't die, either.) Fortunately for me, while fans were sad the character died, no one was mad at me.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-38967578665193983522013-12-17T13:14:10.675-05:002013-12-17T13:14:10.675-05:00Famous novels/stories where the protagonist dies a...Famous novels/stories where the protagonist dies at the end:<br /><br />Kafka's "The Trial"<br />Camus's "The Stranger"<br />Tolstory's "Anna Karenina"<br />Flaubert's "Madame Bovary"<br />Thomas Mann's "A Death in Venice"<br />Goethe's "Sorrows of Young Werther"<br />J.D. Salinger's "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish"<br />Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"Joseph E. Lernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10253157223721797557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-38415303611326366942013-12-17T13:03:41.455-05:002013-12-17T13:03:41.455-05:00So the answer is . . . it all depends. See River&#...So the answer is . . . it all depends. See River's comment above regarding George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones." I could add other titles such as "The Wire," "Dexter," "Breaking Bad," and "The Sopranos." Yes, these are TV series and not novels, but they're still fiction, very popular, and highly acclaimed. Also, I think if you're writing literary fiction it doesn't necessarily matter, as audiences for such works are fairly forgiving. Maybe for more commercial genres (romance, mystery), not so much.Joseph E. Lernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10253157223721797557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-20306476550955577912013-12-17T12:40:41.200-05:002013-12-17T12:40:41.200-05:00I have in short horror stories, where the protagon...I have in short horror stories, where the protagonist triumphs over evil but loses his life in the process - but that's horror. I can't kill my protagonist in novels. My name's not George RR Martin... ;)River Fairchildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15374958276717316437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-42014740039553799762013-12-17T11:15:27.080-05:002013-12-17T11:15:27.080-05:00I tackled this in Touch of Death, but I can't ...I tackled this in Touch of Death, but I can't say how because it will spoil it for anyone who wants to read it. I can say that in one of my other books, The Monster Within, I open the story with my MC coming back from the dead. That was fun. :)Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-43324532958060860592013-12-17T10:06:46.807-05:002013-12-17T10:06:46.807-05:00You're right; a happy ending isn't always ...You're right; a happy ending isn't always realistic. One could certainly let the protagonist be defeated while also letting him/her stay alive. And if a writer does want to kill of their protagonist, hinting that the he/she may die throughout the book would be a good strategy to brace readers. And, if done right, it could still have a shocking ending. Thank you for your comment, Nissa!Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-9558033981400008362013-12-17T10:03:31.803-05:002013-12-17T10:03:31.803-05:00I can't let go. lol Or not at least with the p...I can't let go. lol Or not at least with the protagonists I've created thus far. There may come a time in the future when I do kill a protagonist, but I think this protagonist (whomever he or she may be) would have to turn out bad at the end for me to do it.<br /><br />I like Morgan Freeman too! In my eyes, he's immortal. And with everything Alex Cross has gone through, he deserves a happily ever after! :)Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-62208249123946096202013-12-17T09:59:11.424-05:002013-12-17T09:59:11.424-05:00No, I would NOT kill off my protagonist. I hate bo...No, I would NOT kill off my protagonist. I hate books that end that way, even though folks tell me 'it's GOOD for you!'. This does not mean I would not allow my protagonist to be defeated. A happy-end for every story isn't very realistic or satisfying. <br />In books that do end with the death of the protagonist, I think it's essential to keep the reader aware that this is the kind of book in which the protagonist might die. An unforeshadowed protagonist death is not a good technique.Nissa Annakindthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-25573172688173146542013-12-17T09:58:13.585-05:002013-12-17T09:58:13.585-05:00Just let go and let them die! ;)
I am an evil read...Just let go and let them die! ;)<br />I am an evil reader I don't mind if there is a twist of death. with everything that Alex Cross has been through he deserves some rest.The only problem is when I think of him I think of Morgan Freeman, and I like him.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208969934278199592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-37846504465850027272013-12-17T09:54:54.224-05:002013-12-17T09:54:54.224-05:00For me, killing of my protagonist would be like ki...For me, killing of my protagonist would be like killing my child. I think I'd always be able to come up with some way to defeat the antagonist. Look at Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling made it seem like the only way to defeat Voldemort was if Harry also died, but she found a way to keep Harry alive and gave him a happy ending to boot. :DChrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133489888936435050.post-16495133670600681352013-12-17T09:39:41.505-05:002013-12-17T09:39:41.505-05:00The thought of killing off my protagonist strikes ...The thought of killing off my protagonist strikes fear in me. What did they do to deserve it? I think I would only do it if it were absolutely necessary and there was no other possible way to end the story. I don't know what set of circumstances in a novel would lead to this, but hey, you never know!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06317095707905133969noreply@blogger.com