(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Hellooo everybody! Today, in the spirit of Halloween, we're talking about killing! FICTIONALLY speaking,
that is. A lot of writers get super excited to kill off their characters. So excited that they get
way overzealous and mess it all up. Before you hack away at your entire cast, I've got 10 tips
for killing off characters so you make sure you do it right. First off, a HUGE thank you to Skillshare,
who has sponsored today's video! Skillshare is my favorite online learning platform because
it's geared toward creators. They've got thousands of classes in a wide variety of topics including
graphic design, business, music, and creative writing. I, myself, have two marketing classes for writers on
Skillshare. One is all about how to build an author platform. The other is a step-by-step guide for
launching a book. And I may or may not have a third class on the way... Skillshare is great because they
have classes for creators at ALL levels, whether you're brand new to the gig or you've been around
the block. Plus, their classes are divided into bite-sized chunks, so they're super easy to fit
into your schedule. Skillshare's got a special deal just for you guys! Stick around until the end of
this video to find out more. You definitely want to find out more - trust me. But first, we're gonna
kill some characters, just as the writing gods intended. If you want more writing tips, be sure
to subscribe to my channel and ring that bell! I give tons of writing, business, and publishing
tips. Plus, sometimes I dress up like a Droog, which is fun! And speaking of killing, be sure to pick up
a copy of my number one best-selling dark fantasy novel The Savior's Sister. Especially if you like
seeing characters get the axe, cause a whole bunch of people die in this book. So, you know,
buy it! You'll enjoy it! And now here are my 10 tips for killing off characters in three, two, one,
go! Number One (1): You're not reinventing the wheel. I'm gonna suck the wind out of your sails for a second.
Ever since Game of Thrones hit HBO, we've seen an explosion of newbie writers who pride themselves
on how many characters they kill off. They think killing off characters is edgy. That it makes them
a special, ruthless writer. It doesn't. Death is probably the most popular conflict in fiction.
I struggle to think of a single book that I've read that doesn't at least mention death. That's
because death is a common conflict in life. We all at some point will know someone who's died.
Writing about death does not make you unique. It is not impressive. We're all doing it. I'm
not saying this to kick you in the dick. I'm saying this because this mentality can get writers into
trouble. They kill a few characters and think, “I did it! I wrote the next great American novel!”
That's NOT gonna cut it. Death is a dime a dozen. You're gonna need more than that to
make your book stand out. Number Two (2): Make it matter. A lot of writers get upset when people
say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway: Every death in your story needs to serve a purpose.
“But Jennaaa!” Shut up, you big baby! Let the adults speak. Every death in your story should serve a
purpose because every plot point in your story should serve a purpose. That's how books work.
Every action should move the story forward. All of it! Additionally, just because a kill has to serve
a purpose, doesn't mean it needs to be a monumental purpose. I'm not saying to make every kill dramatic
and scene stealing. I'm just saying that you should be able to point to every single kill in your book
and explain how it moves the story forward. Even if it's just an inch. In The Savior's Champion, one of
the earliest kills serves a very simple purpose: establishing the villain. Kaleo makes his first
kill and thus everyone knows he is someone you don't want to fuck with. On the flip side, one of
the later kills is very dramatic and emotional and serves to instigate the main character's breaking
point. These are very different kills with very different purposes, but here's the kicker: they
both matter. If you can't think of a reason that your kill enhances the plot, then it's just gore porn.
Number Three (3): Consider the audience. I once read a book that featured a sexual assault followed by a
graphic murder. This wouldn't be surprising, if it weren't for the fact that this was a Middle Grade
book written for 10 year olds. What? Before you kill off your characters, consider your target audience.
That means age range and genre. The younger your audience, the less graphic your kills should be.
Middle Grade kills should be quick and painless, figuratively speaking.
Adult kills can be as graphic as you please, and Young Adult should be somewhere in between.
Next, consider the expectations of your genre. If you're writing any sort of dark fiction
like horror, thriller, dystopian, or dark fantasy, you can get graphic with your kills. But readers
don't dive into contemporary romance expecting detailed descriptions of decapitation. Take into
account what your readers are anticipating before you start slicin’ and dicin’ your characters.
Number Four (4): Know your emotional goal. No one kills off characters hoping it goes unnoticed by readers.
If you're giving someone the axe, it's because you want a reaction out of readers, and it's important
to determine what kind of reaction you're going for. Not all kills are created equal. Some are
written to scare readers, some are written to make them cry, some are written to make ‘em rage.
The easiest way to determine your emotional goal is to figure out how this kill affects the main
character. Say, for example, the villain is dying. What would be going on in the character's mind?
Are they feeling relieved, or victorious? Do they have mixed feelings? Maybe they're
feeling inexplicable guilt over their role in the villain's death. Your main character's feelings are
going to hinge on two things: their personality, as well as their relationship with the deceased.
Nail down these elements and it'll dictate the proper emotional tone for the scene. Number Five (5):
It's all in the details. Once you've figured out the emotional tone, you're gonna need to pay
close attention to the details of your scene. Your word choice is going to do a bulk of the emoting.
It's going to set the mood for the character's death, which means it can make or break the scene
entirely. Say, for example, the main character's mother was murdered and they are overcome with
grief. If you spend the whole scene listing the grotesque details of how this woman was butchered,
that's not going to make readers sad. It's going to make them disgusted. Instead, describe the grey cast
of the mother's skin. The emptiness of her eyes. The limpness of her lifeless body. Words like gray,
empty, limp, and lifeless have a depressing feel to them. Thus, they set a sad tone for the scene. Number
Six (6): Kill appropriately. There are roughly a bazillion ways to kill off a character, which
is both a blessing and a curse. It's great to have options, but just because a particular kill seems
fun doesn't mean it's a good idea. Think about your genre and world building when deciding how to kill
a character. With a contemporary setting, you're looking at realistic deaths like car accidents
or health complications. In fantasy, sci-fi, or any kind of action/adventure, you're going to have more
options. Particularly combat related options, and world related options. Arrow wounds, laser fights,
gunned down by the enemy. In horror comedy you can be a lot campier. The kills should be outlandish
and silly. That's the whole point! This may sound obvious, but so many writers get caught up in
the thrill of fictional murder, they overkill. Pun intended. If it's not the right fit for the genre,
it's going to stand out for all the wrong reasons. Number Seven (7): Variety is the spice of life. Some books
require a hell of a lot more killing, which is both fun and complicated. The more characters you
kill, the less impactful it will become, which means you need to find new ways to keep your
readers on their toes. The easiest way to do this is by varying the kills. If every character dies
in a sword fight, that's not exciting. Readers will notice the pattern and see it coming. It's also not
exciting if only background characters die. We'll understand that the key players have plot armor. To
keep things unexpected, vary not only the cause of death but the types of characters who die.
Even if all the deaths are similar - say, combat related - there are still different kinds of combat.
A character can be bludgeoned to death, they can be stabbed, or strangled. They could be blown to pieces.
And of course, this means some of the main cast has gotta get the boot. It'll be painful,
but so, SO worth it. Number Eight (8): Consider the implications. Kills usually create a reaction
in readers. That's kind of what you want. What you don't want is readers walking away from the kill
thinking you're a bigoted asshole. There are a lot of offensive cliches surrounding character deaths.
The three most obvious ones are the black guy dies first, bury your gays, and fridging a woman. Black
guy dies first is exactly what it sounds like: there's only one person of color in your book
and they die first. Of course. Bury your gays is similar. There's only one LGBTQ+ character
in the book, or there's only one LGBTQ+ couple, and they're the only ones who die. Fridging a woman
is when a female character exists solely to die, that way a male character can become motivated
by her death and turn into a hero or vigilante. These cliches, among others, are offensive because
of the implications. Whether you intended it or not, readers are going to assume that you don't value
the life of anyone who is not a cis white male. This doesn't mean you can't kill off characters
who are female, LGBTQ+, or people of color. It just means that if they are the only ones who die,
or if their death is just a tool to motivate some white knight, people are gonna be pissed -
and rightfully so! Number Nine (9): Shock value is okay, sometimes. We can all think of fictional
kills that caught us off guard. They're often some of the best kills out there. They can also be some
of the most despised kills in fiction, and that usually comes down to poor taste and poor planning.
It's okay for a kill to have shock value, but if that's the ONLY purpose it serves, there's a high
probability it's going to come off as nonsensical and cheap. Say, in your contemporary novel, your main
character's father suddenly dies from a heart attack. This is shocking, but it makes sense. Heart
attacks are sudden. Plus, they're really common among middle-aged men. It can also serve a greater
purpose in the story. Maybe it instigates the main character reconnecting with their love interest at
the funeral. But if the main character's father is suddenly gunned down by the mafia out of nowhere,
that's not shocking - it's just stupid. You want readers thinking, “I didn't see that coming!” Not,
“Where the hell did that come from?” Remember, not all shocking kills are good kills, and not all
kills NEED to be shocking. A slow, drawn out death that we see coming a mile away can be just as
impactful as a shocking death. And Number Ten (10): Think long and hard before killing off the big guys.
A lot of writers want to surprise their readers, so they kill off a main character or a fan favorite.
Sometimes this works. Other times, it backfires in a BIG way. You really need to think long and hard
about which camp your story fits into. Some things to consider are genre and audience. A happily ever
after is a qualifier for the romance genre, so if you kill off one of your main characters, you've
just broken a vital genre rule and readers are gonna be pissed. On the flip side, if you're writing
horror, this wouldn't be an issue at all. Readers expect tragedy. You should also consider thematic
statements and story building. If your character's death goes against all of their past choices,
as well as the message of your story, then it's going to come up as a cheap, shock value tactic.
But one of the most important things to consider is the longevity of your story. Especially if
you're writing a series. Killing off the MC or a fan fave can spark two kinds of rage in readers:
either they become desperate to finish the series and find out if their beloved was avenged, or they
decide to abandon the series entirely. After all, the favorite's dead, so why keep reading?
Think long and hard about the potential consequences of killing off a key player.
It may just be fiction, but it could make or break your reader's overall satisfaction with your novel.
So that's all I got for you today! A huge thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video!
If you'd like to check them out, I HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you're looking to learn
any new skills or if you want to check out my classes. Skillshare is super affordable! An
annual subscription is less than $10 bucks a month. However, the first 1,000 people who use the link in
my description will get a free trial of Skillshare premium membership! That's access to thousands of
classes, including MY classes, for free! So get on it! Click the link! Don't forget to subscribe to my
channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that
bell! The Savior’s Sister is available in ebook, paperback, and hardback at all major retailers!
So if you like to see characters die, but you also want romance and fantasy, definitely check it
out! I've got the links listed below! And be sure to follow me on social media! I'm on Instagram,
Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Rumbling Male Voice) This is Brontes. Why, the
FUCK, haven't you subscribed to Jenna’s channel? Do you really want to face me? If you don't do it,
you know what will happen. I'll rip out your tongue, torture you, then leave your rotten
corpse out for the birds to feast on it. Now press the goddamn button, and the bell, too.