# Do you like it when characters die?



## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

I was reading a zombie novel a few weeks ago, and one thing really struck me. The author killed off plenty of characters. They weren't random people on the street either. He gave them vivid back stories and made it really easy to care about them even though they sometimes only made it through a few pages. This really impressed me. It feels like a ton of stories (whether it's TV, movies, or books) refuse to actually let anyone die.

So how do you feel when characters die?


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

At times I hate it when a Author kills off someone I really like in a book and sometimes I get really upset or sad about it! Then again that is part of the book the emotional roller coaster can make the book really good. I don't like it all that much but then again if no one ever died in any books I think it would just get a bit silly and predictable.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

It depends entirely on the character and the skill of the writer.  If they're in a movie or TV show, the actor playing them can be an influence too.  Some characters are so annoying that when they get killed my reaction is "Oh thank flipping goodness".


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

Ben White said:


> It depends entirely on the character and the skill of the writer. If they're in a movie or TV show, the actor playing them can be an influence too. Some characters are so annoying that when they get killed my reaction is "Oh thank flipping goodness".


LOL! That is to funny! I have felt that way actually! I have read a few books also where the main character annoyed me so badly I could not even finish the book or found myself wishing they would die and someone else would take the lead.... I know it would not happen but I can hope!


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## That one girl (Apr 12, 2011)

It definitely depends on the character. I really hated when you-know-who dies at the end of My Sister's Keeper or when that special person dies at the end of Order of the Phoenix or when those people die at the end of The Book Thief. I can't really recall the characters I was glad to see go.


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## Danielle Kazemi (Apr 2, 2011)

It depends on the genre I am reading. I really expect the main character to die if I am reading horror. I get mad when they are still alive. If I am reading romance, I need that happy ending.


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## Amy Eye (Sep 9, 2011)

I love it when bad guys die...I always get that little knot in my stomach when anyone else dies if I have made any kind of connection with them whatsoever.  I'm a bigger sap than I thought...Sheesh!


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2011)

It depends on genre, and whether the ending suits the character. There are cases where I may not like it but it is inevitable, and how the character faces it is as important as what they accomplish. As well as major characters, some authors are very good at fleshing out minor characters, which makes their deaths have more impact (Simon R. Green and Arthur Hailey come to mind).


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't mind it if it's important to the plot. I wouldn't say I "like" it but I accept it as necessary. The deaths in A Song of Ice and Fire are always necessary, for example, (Game of Thrones spoiler)


Spoiler



it sucks when Ned dies


 but there would be no story without it. Other deaths I have mixed feelings about - one of the things I love about the series is that not all the characters are black and white so when I sympathize with an antagonist, I always have mixed feelings if/when they died.

If an author starts killing off characters just to prove he's not afraid to do it, that would put me off.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

I remember the first time I read Little Women, I think I was 8 or 9 and I was heartbroken when


Spoiler



Beth died


 It was my first experience of the death of a character and it's stuck with me. I think the only other character to come close to that was


Spoiler



Ned Stark


. Generally, I don't mind when characters die if it's part of the story.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

It depends on the story and the backstory.

The story - because some stories call for sacrifice.

The backstory - because it can make a big difference whether or not the character who is killed off is either a three-dimensional living and breathing character - or just some gink in a red shirt.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

A death, just like everything else in a good novel, should have meaning and purpose. Randomly selecting some characters to kill off in a climactic battle without giving them "their due" tends to feel cheap and lazy to the reader (the end of "Deathly Hallows" is probably the best example of this). Sure, killing one character in a seemingly pointless fashion can heighten reader suspense because they will then think that NO ONE is safe (


Spoiler



Wash's


 death in the movie Serenity really had me thinking that many of the other characters were going to buy it) but just ramping up the body count, particularly at the end of a series when it doesn't really matter, is infantile IMHO. Characters we are invested in can die, but at least give them some dignity or meaning. They don't all have to jump on a grenade, but should have a death that somehow completes the arc that character had been building towards (otherwise, why was the character there in the first place?).

Red shirts, of course, are faceless minions whose only purpose is to show how "deadly" the situation is, so even their apparently senseless deaths have utility.


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## Iowagirl (Jul 17, 2011)

T.S. Welti said:


> It definitely depends on the character. I really hated when you-know-who dies at the end of My Sister's Keeper or when that special person dies at the end of Order of the Phoenix or when those people die at the end of The Book Thief. I can't really recall the characters I was glad to see go.


I'm in total agreement with you on My Sister's Keeper. Annoying and way-too-convenient plot device.

As a general rule though, I don't mind if characters's die if it makes sense to the overall plot and theme of a book. I read to experience emotions through the characters and, as morbid as this sounds, sometimes a good death scene just works.

Tracey


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

It depends on the situation. 

In horror and murder mysteries, typically people die. It has to happen usually in those types of books. I'm fine with that.

In other books, sometimes it is hard to read them because I'm so invested in the character. I can see where it is necessary in some of them. Sometimes it doesn't seem as necessary for other characters, though. In those cases I might not like it, but it works and makes the book stick in my head more. So, it can be a good thing.

Then you have the character you wish would die but they never do. *coughsUmbridgecoughs*


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## PhoenixS (Apr 5, 2011)

The first death of a major secondary character in a book or series is always the most important one to me. Knowing that if the author could kill off THAT character, who knows how many others might die too? The stakes are always upped after that first death and it gives the rest of the book or series a more visceral feel not knowing who will or won't survive at the end.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

I hated when Susie Salmon died in _The Lovely Bones_. Of course, if she hadn't, it would have been a pretty short book.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

If a character's an evil one, I definitely feel satisfaction when they buy the farm. And people tend to die in horror novels, sure. But this is a subject that the author has to get in the exact right balance ... kill off a character, even a well-liked one, fine. But never simply for effect, only when it's perfectly consistent with the story.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I have actually felt all "Annie Wilkes" (From Misery) when an author has killed off a character.  Sometimes I get so emotionally vested in a story that it feels like I have lost a family member.

I can only hope to some day be able to write well enough to make a reader feel betrayed when I kill off a character.  LOL


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

Well it depends. I don't necessarily "like" it, but sometimes I find the reading experience more satisfying if a few characters do die during the course of dangerous events. This makes me more worried during life-or-death scenarios. If I know nobody is going to die EVER, I'm less scared. This does depend on the genre, though. If I were reading a romance, I would probably want everybody to make it!


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## Susan Brassfield Cogan (Mar 25, 2011)

Ben White said:


> It depends entirely on the character and the skill of the writer. If they're in a movie or TV show, the actor playing them can be an influence too. Some characters are so annoying that when they get killed my reaction is "Oh thank flipping goodness".


yes, it depends on the character. Having interesting or major characters die can be a strong emotional tug and it also makes you worry about the protagonist. If anybody can die in a story that means *I* can die! ("I" being the protagonist.)

On the other hand when Owen in Torchwood died, I thought *good!* What an irritating character. It was even more irritating that they had him as a whiny and annoying "undead" guy for a few episodes before they finally toasted him.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

It can really be a cliche to kill off characters. As a device to get rid of a character once his or her purpose in the story is over, it is woefully overused. Killing off the bad guy, well, whatever happened to have the bad guy arrested? That would be a refreshing change of pace. If it really furthers the story, or if it would strain credibility not to, I'm fine with killing characters.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

dkazemi said:


> It depends on the genre I am reading. I really expect the main character to die if I am reading horror. I get mad when they are still alive. If I am reading romance, I need that happy ending.


Depends on the skill of the writer and what the genre calls for. Strictly speakign, a romance has to have a happy ending, but that doesn't mean an antagonist can't be killed off. Characters in any book should cause us to care when they die, unless it's a book about evil for evil's sake.


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

> I'm in total agreement with you on My Sister's Keeper. Annoying and way-too-convenient plot device.


Amen! And a few weeks ago I finished


Spoiler



The Elegance of the Hedgehog


 and found the very same thing happening. I was *not* happy!

I don't mind when characters die (provided it is done well); however, I hate it when dead characters come back to life. This happened on a TV show that my daughter likes. I don't watch the show myself, but I knew enough about it to recognize a character on-screen who I'd thought had already died episodes before. When I asked my daughter, she said, "Mom, that was *last* season". Lol.


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## Nick Wastnage (Jun 16, 2011)

I write about people being killed all the time, but that's because I'm a crime writer and killings happen in my books, otherwise there's no story. But I guess that's not the same as killing someone off for the sake of it.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

If I like the characters very much I get quite upset when they die. J. K. Rowling sure liked killing off her characters. Every time Harry, Hermione, and Ron went out to get into trouble I always chewed my nails.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Usually a character's death doesn't bother me too much, especially if I feel it was important to the plot. However, there have been a handful of such deaths that have nearly brought tears to my eyes over the years.


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

If a character dies in a book (or movie for that matter), and the author hasn't done their job to make me feel a connection with the character when it is obvious that the death sets into motion a huge chain of events, it becomes very hard for me to buy into the story. I've found myself quite disappointed at times because of these situations. However, speaking from an author's perspective, I once had a girl approach me with tears flowing after reading one of my books. I thought she'd hated it at first, but soon found that she loved it so much it brought her to those tears. She just kept saying, "I loved it, but how could you?" From my point of view, I was conflicted because I had caused her the grief, but behind her tears was a hidden smile so it was also gratifying. Looking at it from both sides, I'd have to agree with Bleekness, if done right, losing a character can certainly be depressing, but effective...and sometimes the only real way the story could have gone.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> As some other folks have said, it depends on the characters... but essentially, characters might possibly die in just about any genre. If a reader gets _that_ upset when a character dies, then the author has done a great job (in my opinion) to make the character seem real, regardless if the death was well done or just a cheap and quick exit.


I disagree, when a character is killed off just to provide a cheap and quick exit, I might be upset because I feel cheated by the author.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

If the character's death fits the story, I can live with it. Villains getting bumped off is fine. Innocent bystanders (collateral damage) bother me a little bit if the author has drawn them into the story with names so I'm invested in them. If they remain nameless and "faceless" and it's necessary to kill them to move the story forward, then okay. I recently read a book where a very likable character was killed and a less likable one lived - it bothered me until I read more and saw how the author used it to deepen the main character, which worked. It takes talent to kill off a popular character and still satisfy your readers.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

balaspa said:


> Sometimes I get so emotionally vested in a story that it feels like I have lost a family member.


Same here. I just finished a book where one of the characters died near the end. She had terminal cancer, so her death was expected, but the circumstances surrounding her passing were _not_ anticipated. Even though her death made sense, I felt so sad after I finished that book. The author did his job very well.


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## SylviaLucas (Sep 14, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> I disagree, when a character is killed off just to provide a cheap and quick exit, I might be upset because I feel cheated by the author.


 I do, as well. It makes me wonder why the author didn't want to put in the work necessary to find a more creative way out. If he or she doesn't care about the story, why should I?


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I once heard the author Mary Doria Russell give a lecture.  She said that when she wrote the book "Thread of Grace" (which is about the Holocaust), she flipped a coin in order to figure out which characters would live and which would die.  When someone in the audience said, "That's cold," she shrugged and said, "That was the Holocaust".


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I like it. I think it's important for characters to die to keep realism. If the story contains many combat scenes or dangerous situations, then some characters _must_ die even if he or she is one of the good guys or even&#8230; gasp&#8230; the beloved protagonist. This is a problem for many series: the inherent spoiler. If you pick up _Billy Bob the Gumshoe Book #1_ and see there are 17 more books in the series then you know Billy Bob is going to live to solve the next case at least {x} number of times.

Of course, different genres will have more less tolerance for death. Crime, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery, and Science Fiction would all be OK. Romance--not so much. Though wouldn't it be a kicker to write a "Romance" about a middle age man winning the love of a beautiful twentysomething girl, then dying of a heat attacking moments before consummating their marriage.

I'd be more tolerant of the indiscriminate death than the implausible survival of characters, though good authors will avoid both.


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## Kayden Lee (Sep 9, 2011)

I hate when a main character dies, and I love it at the same time. When it is a good book, and I connect with the characters, I am sure to be mad at the author for a few pages after a character dies. The fact that I have become involved enough with the characters to get mad if one of them dies, is something I love, because that is a sign of a well written book.


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## Gregory Lynn (Aug 9, 2011)

Geemont said:


> If you pick up _Billy Bob the Gumshoe Book #1_ and see there are 17 more books in the series then you know Billy Bob is going to live to solve the next case at least {x} number of times.


Someone really needs to write the tale of the Dread Pirate Roberts and kill him off in every single one.


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## evie_d (Sep 13, 2011)

> I hated when Susie Salmon died in The Lovely Bones. Of course, if she hadn't, it would have been a pretty short book.


Lol at that!

It's all about context - if it feels organic to the plot, I'm okay with it (although I admit I was devastated when a certain someone died in Order of the Phoenix), but if it feels like the author is just going for shock value, it annoys me. On the other hand, some authors never kill characters off (and make it known they won't) so then there's never any tension in the story, and that annoys me just as much.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

Death is life, so it all depends on how and why it is written that way.


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## naomi_jay (Feb 1, 2011)

If it's handled well, I... well, I wouldn't say I _like_ it, but I can deal with it. If it's clumsy or seems shoehorned in, I'm going to be wondering why the author did it rather than being emotionally moved.


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## MarionSipe (May 13, 2011)

I think it really comes down to the writer. If they do it well, they can kill off everyone and keep me interested. If it's done badly, I start to feel like they've got a quota, you know? The deaths get repetitive and each one means less and less, until I'm more bored than moved to tears. It's all down to the author and how they execute it (the them, as the case may be). :-D



Gregory Lynn said:


> Someone really needs to write the tale of the Dread Pirate Roberts and kill him off in every single one.


I would totally read that! :-D


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

Of course it depends, but, when it's a really good book...

The death of Sydney Carton  ("a far better thing I do than I have ever done...")

Boromir in LotR.

Casey in The Grapes of Wrath.

And of course, the death of a good villain is usually very satisfying.

I'm also a bit biased toward quality fictional deaths because I write about reincarnation.


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## David Alastair Hayden (Mar 19, 2011)

As long as it's not a cheap stunt to shock me. Hmmm... Well, cheap stunts are okay with minor characters, especially early on. But if I care about a character, it should be justified in terms of the story.


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## TheGapBetweenMerlons (Jun 2, 2011)

This is an interesting topic that gives me some fresh insights on a decision I've been making regarding a fantasy series I'm working on.  I originally intended that the first book in the story's chronology would be the second book in the series.  However, that prequel can mostly stand on its own and thus could actually come first.  It's really rather brutal when it comes to killing off characters that readers might be attached to, though, so in that sense I might lose readers if they read it first, rather than seeing how things turn out in the chronologically-later book and then reading the back story that helps pave the way for the third book.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Crenel, I think you can totally kill of major characters every book, but it must HAVE PURPOSE. If you are writing about a massive war then of course folks will die, including soldiers, generals, and possibly kings. Happens all the time in history. But I think the trap you will find yourself in is that READERS want, ultimately, comfort. They want the illusion of risk but in the end the hero has to win through. So if you routinely bump off the POV/main characters readers will probably stop getting emotionally invested in your work which might impact reader sustainability. Then again, if the writing is tight and the plotting good, even a series with wholesale character slaughter can be gripping and engaging because the true "character" is the conflict itself.

The other problem is that you will have to continuously create new characters and it might get hard to find ones the readers connect with. If I love that one handed assassin guy and he buys it the hunchbacked hermaphoditic dwarf he is replaced with might not interest me as much.

So I think most authors pick a middle ground. There are several "safe" characters for reader investment but their sidekicks, no matter how lovable, are fair game. Then every now and then, maybe once every few books, a main character will have to go down, just make it a grand spectacle


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

MarionSipe said:


> I think it really comes down to the writer. If they do it well, they can kill off everyone and keep me interested. If it's done badly, I start to feel like they've got a quota, you know? The deaths get repetitive and each one means less and less, until I'm more bored than moved to tears. It's all down to the author and how they execute it (the them, as the case may be). :-D


I love the pun. Totally wasn't expecting it.


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

Stephen T. Harper said:


> Of course it depends, but, when it's a really good book...
> 
> The death of Sydney Carton ("a far better thing I do than I have ever done...")
> 
> ...


Stephen, you're right about those examples. I couldn't have picked better ones, but I do have one to add, also by Steinbeck. Lennie in Of Mice and Men...I'll admit, it put me in tears.


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

Crenel said:


> This is an interesting topic that gives me some fresh insights on a decision I've been making regarding a fantasy series I'm working on. I originally intended that the first book in the story's chronology would be the second book in the series. However, that prequel can mostly stand on its own and thus could actually come first. It's really rather brutal when it comes to killing off characters that readers might be attached to, though, so in that sense I might lose readers if they read it first, rather than seeing how things turn out in the chronologically-later book and then reading the back story that helps pave the way for the third book.


Yeah, you're probably right about too much killing turning people off, especially early on. Might be a good reason to go with the safer one first. That is to say, assuming the readers get to know and like the characters before they die. If it is just all part of the opening story, then that can be done well and really help create the dramatic twists that lead into your plot.


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## Bella Marie (Nov 10, 2010)

Ben White said:


> It depends entirely on the character and the skill of the writer. If they're in a movie or TV show, the actor playing them can be an influence too. Some characters are so annoying that when they get killed my reaction is "Oh thank flipping goodness".


I agree totally :O) Love your exclamation as well because I find myself agreeing regularly when I am reading about a particularly annoying character, thinking I would have killed them off long ago but that is what I love when the book gets a reaction out of me like that. It is all worth it then.


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## emilyward (Mar 5, 2011)

I hate it when they kill a character I love, but in some genres it's necessary. In fantasy, if there's a war or some kind of struggle, you know someone will die. It makes the book more realistic because the main characters are not immune just because we're reading about them. 

At the same time, some deaths have really bothered me. My Sister's Keeper? One of the rare instances where I liked the movie ending better than the book! Or I don't like it when an author doesn't give a character death the time and meaning it deserves. I'm looking at you, Suzanne Collins. 

Otherwise, I understand it. I consider it good writing if I cry when a character dies. The author has made these people real to me.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I had no problem whatsoever with the deaths of the real life bad guys described in my own books: for they apparently deserved it (and there seemed no other practical way to stop them from continuing to harm others; of course, when something like mental illness or PTSD is involved, that can be a different matter).

But perhaps you're mainly referring to my opinion of fictional characters dying in the books of others? Well, as death is a big part of our reality, it's simply not realistic for absolutely no one to die, under many extreme circumstances, such as those we often detail in books. So if too much dangerous stuff happens with zero deaths (or even major injury), that might tend to dispel my own suspension of disbelief, in regards to a story. So deaths are good. And sometimes, even the deaths of beloved characters can be necessary to the story. Look at actual history: many non-fiction stories there would be nowhere near as powerful and memorable, if the heroes or heroines hadn't died for their actions. Having the hero get by via the skin of his teeth and say "wow, but that was a close one!" too many times will sooner or later smack of fantasy rather than realism.

Of course, the very worst thing is to have a character die many times, then be repeatedly brought back again, via some miracle, or highly unlikely convergence of events. I mean, a skillful writer might be able to get by with this once or twice. But going for three or more is just too much! The worst perpetrators of this over the decades may have been the major comic book companies: some of their characters have apparently died maybe 60 or so separate times by now, only to reappear again later, by way of some grossly fanciful explanation.


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

Sometimes I don't like it when a character dies because I've become invested in their 'life' and now they are gone but it adds to the story and why I wish the author hadn't needed it to happen, I understand that it was essential to the story. But, there have been times when a character has been killed off (like in My Sister's Keeper and The Horsewhisperer to name a few) where the death felt like nothing but a big, huge, shocking twist just for the sake of having that big, huge, shocking twist or even worse as a cop-out because the author didn't want to have to make the tough decision on how to end the book and took the easiest (IMO) way out to resolve the major conflict/plot of the story.

And then there are those hereos and heroines that I had wished would've been killed by the bad guys ...


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

Jan Strnad said:


> I hated when Susie Salmon died in _The Lovely Bones_. Of course, if she hadn't, it would have been a pretty short book.


LOL. I felt the same way.

In some books, where you go in knowing this is going to get grim, it's ok. So, Susie warned the reader right off she was going to bite it. Another wonderful book, Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis, is about a timetraveler who goes back to England right before the Black Plague. So you know quite a few people will die. (I still cried my eyes out when I found out who.)

But I hate it when books (or movies or tv) kill off a major character just to prove they are serious or whatever. That just annoys me. Sometimes I can't go on. It depends on how it is handled. One thing I do like about certain series or certain genres is the reassurance that the author isn't going to pull that crap on me.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

I really like knowing the characters are mortal. Way too often, it feels like they can survive anything, and that gets boring. Maybe I'm too much of a meta-reader, but still, I like knowing people can die.


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## Nick Wastnage (Jun 16, 2011)

I'm a crime writer. People are killed in my books whether they are good or bad. But it's mainly the villains and done in a way that shows some retribution for their crime.


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## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

Elizabeth Black said:


> If I like the characters very much I get quite upset when they die. J. K. Rowling sure liked killing off her characters. Every time Harry, Hermione, and Ron went out to get into trouble I always chewed my nails.


That's an awesome point. But I think that's one thing that helped make Rowling's series so great. Because characters could die, there was no protection. You could never pull yourself all the way out and say, "There's no way Harry would die. C'mon, it's a kid's book." Because she demonstrated a willingness to kill off even the most beloved characters, the tension rose dramatically.


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## barbarasissel (Jul 4, 2011)

theraven said:


> Sometimes I don't like it when a character dies because I've become invested in their 'life' and now they are gone but it adds to the story and why I wish the author hadn't needed it to happen, I understand that it was essential to the story. But, there have been times when a character has been killed off (like in My Sister's Keeper and The Horsewhisperer to name a few) where the death felt like nothing but a big, huge, shocking twist just for the sake of having that big, huge, shocking twist or even worse as a cop-out because the author didn't want to have to make the tough decision on how to end the book and took the easiest (IMO) way out to resolve the major conflict/plot of the story.
> 
> And then there are those hereos and heroines that I had wished would've been killed by the bad guys ...


I was just going to ask if anyone remembered the ending in The Horse Whisperer. I could have tossed that book across the room! Cop-out (IMO) is right! What is the consensus on the ending of The Tale of Edgar Sawtelle? Some deaths are right, though, even when they're sad, they just make sense, I think.


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## Nicki Leigh (Aug 25, 2011)

As a reader, I get upset if one of my favorite characters die. But seeing as I kill off characters in my own books, I can understand and author's reason for doing so. In most cases, it helps the reader fall into the story even more while moving the plot forward.

Sometimes I wonder if I have a twisted mind. Just about every book I've written has to do with me killing off a character (at least in the first draft). Sometimes they come back to life and sometimes they don't. The way I see it, if I can make a reader cry (which I've done quite a bit), than I've done the best job that I could.


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I hope I don't sound like a psycho, but I have often enjoyed reading about the demise of certain characters. I assume it's because of the type of books I normally read such as horror, paranormal, serial killers etc. On the other hand, it can also be quite satisfying killing one of my own characters off because I know people will like them and it will cause an emotional reaction, hopefully giving them a great reading experience.


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## brianrowe (Mar 10, 2011)

I like it when characters die in both books and movies when it feels appropriate. When it's done just for shock value, I'm not a big fan. And if I've spent hours and hours with a character, only to see him or her die at the end for a dumb inexplicable reason, I get really upset. But if a character perishes for a good reason, usually I'll appreciate the plot development. There needs to be stakes in every story. And when a major lovable character dies, that always raises the stakes.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Elizabeth Black said:


> If I like the characters very much I get quite upset when they die. J. K. Rowling sure liked killing off her characters. Every time Harry, Hermione, and Ron went out to get into trouble I always chewed my nails.


Me too. Rowling's killing off characters was okay because it ramped up the stakes and Harry's resolve to kill Voldemort. If Dumbledore could die then anyone could, and that made Harry's quest even more intense and dangerous.


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## Komiza (Sep 19, 2011)

The only fiction I enjoy is a credible story. For that reason I've never liked science fiction because it seems the writer has free rein with reality... 'just as the giant scary insect-looking thing bore down on Jane, she reached for her 64GB Apple iTime and escaped back to the 20th century'. I hate that (unless Apple really are working on an iTime, in which case I'd love it). 

I need the story to be credible. Real people die. Good people die not just the villains but the heroes too. No I don't like it when the good people in a story die. Death is sad but it's real and that's the most important thing in a story - for me.

Amaranth


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## thegreywolf (Sep 21, 2011)

Done well I think that it can really enhance the appeal of the story. I think that it takes a certain amount of bravery to kill off major characters and to me it is an indication that the author has lots of potential. 

A recent example is George R R Martins A Song of Ice and Fire series, lots of characters being killed off, but it is not inhibiting the story but rather feeding it the fuel required to continue. 

I think oft times people are too geared towards the grand finale where they have all their characters in a room with tankards of frothing ale toasting how well they have done, to have a story where there are a number of empty seats in that room gives the scene an extra poignancy.

GreyWolf


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## NikiBurnham (Jul 23, 2011)

As many others have said, it depends.

I recently read a book from the UK (James Jackson's REALM) set during the Spanish Armada with a young spy as the main character. Made perfect sense for certain characters to die, because times were violent and there were several battle scenes in the book. Even one main character, a very three-dimensional person in whom readers would be very invested, dies near the end. I didn't like it, but the death made sense to me. On the other hand, there was another death near the end of the book that drove me batty. It was one that may have been realistic, but I didn't see the WHY for it. I grumbled about it for weeks after finishing the book. 

Must say:  Other than that one death, I thought the book was fantastic. If you like gritty historical adventure, I highly recommend it.


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## Kimberly Llewellyn (Aug 18, 2011)

I'd read a "rock climbing mystery" a while back. The protagonist was murdered halfway through the book and then a new protagonist took over. If the goal was to make me care and then shock the "hey" out of me, then the effect worked. I never forgot it. But, do I like emotionally investing in a protag for 150 pages only for them to die off? No, I don't think so. I understand killing off a likable character, or the protag dying at the end tragically, but the main character halfway? What a stunner.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I do not like when authors kill off children just for the sake of bringing a melodramatic and heart-tugging turning point to the story. It seems to happen more often in the British literature - perhaps a Dickensian tradition of some sort?
On the other hand, it is a bit annoying when crime writers only kill bad guys. This is one of the worst problems with the entire "cozy" genre. You can pretty much tell in Chapter One who is going to be a victim.


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## Iain Manson (Apr 3, 2011)

anguabell said:


> I do not like when authors kill off children just for the sake of bringing a melodramatic and heart-tugging turning point to the story. It seems to happen more often in the British literature - perhaps a Dickensian tradition of some sort?


You're right, it's very Dickensian. Old Charlie did it all the time, but I reckon the kids usually had it coming. I recently read _The Old Curiosity Shop_, and I was ecstatic when Little Nell popped her clogs. She'd really been getting on my nerves.


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## rmack (Sep 27, 2011)

I find it hard to let go of series characters that I followed over a few books. But sometimes change is necessary to keep the series fresh, and piling on minor characters can make it tough to read a series novel as a stand alone. When that time comes, killing off a character can certainly raise the stakes in a novel.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

joshtremino said:


> I was reading a zombie novel a few weeks ago, and one thing really struck me. The author killed off plenty of characters. They weren't random people on the street either. He gave them vivid back stories and made it really easy to care about them even though they sometimes only made it through a few pages. This really impressed me. It feels like a ton of stories (whether it's TV, movies, or books) refuse to actually let anyone die.
> 
> So how do you feel when characters die?


I don't mind it if it's the purpose of the story. As in, it's an action horror. Yes, some should die.

Random deaths in Harry Potter... pointless and lame.


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## JackDAlbrecht (Sep 24, 2011)

I think that if it is done to further the character development, and it is done in a way that makes the reader care, then it is good. I don't necessarily like it, but I tend to trust the author unless they do something to make me regret that trust. You can only know if it is done right when that part of the story reaches it's conclusion. So I guess it all depends...


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

I think an author has to earn the death of a character, otherwise it just feels like one of those James Bond villain's henchmen being tossed aside without thought.

I'm struggling to think of the last book I read in which a main character dies, and it's probably Dumbledore.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Alexis-Shore said:


> I think an author has to earn the death of a character, otherwise it just feels like one of those James Bond villain's henchmen being tossed aside without thought.
> 
> I'm struggling to think of the last book I read in which a main character dies, and it's probably Dumbledore.


I agree. A main character dying is a big deal. Especially if you're invested in a series. I think a lot of authors resort to killing off characters as a sensationalist technique. Like, since you can't think of any other exciting thing, kill someone off!


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

If you kill off too many characters, it is too easy to ignore the reprecussions. Imagine if people were dying left and right at your workplace. Things wouldn't go on like normal.


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## Ben Dobson (Mar 27, 2011)

If it's just out of nowhere, completely random, and contrary to the plot, I guess killing a character is stupid. And just cleaning house can be a bad idea, certainly. But most of my favorite books involve some character deaths in one way or another. And if it's well done, I can get behind even a "pointless" death, because sometimes the point is to underscore how pointless and random death can be. As has been said, Wash's sudden death in Serenity really sent the tension through the roof for that last sequence. It depends on the story and the writing. Certainly a poorly written or randomly shoehorned in death is bad, in the way of anything done poorly.

But the question of whether you like it when characters die is really a different thing than whether the death was a necessary part of the story, and this is where a lot of subjectivity comes in. A lot of people react to that attachment, I think, more than to the actual function of the death in the plot. Yeah, it sucks to lose a main character you're attached to, but there are times when _not_ losing that character would be pretty trite. I find an artificially happy ending where everyone's okay and no one gets hurt--at least in stories that come to a climax that up to that point has been built up as having super high stakes and danger--to be fairly weak. Which isn't to say you should kill a character just because they're in a high stakes dangerous situation, but you also shouldn't avoid it if it's necessary. Personally, I don't think anything egregiously wrong with the deaths in the last Harry Potter book, for instance. I mean, given the situation they were in, I would have been more annoyed if no one had died. In "war" sometimes people die, and sometimes they're people you like. Without getting into a debate on whether the people who died were the best choices for it, because that's a different issue, I at least think it would have been a much weaker climax if nobody important had been touched.

Disclaimer: I do like stories with happy endings and no deaths too, if it's that kind of story and it's done well. I don't want to sound like a death junkie or anything.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2011)

Ben Dobson said:


> If it's just out of nowhere, completely random, and contrary to the plot, I guess killing a character is stupid. And just cleaning house can be a bad idea, certainly. But most of my favorite books involve some character deaths in one way or another. And if it's well done, I can get behind even a "pointless" death, because sometimes the point is to underscore how pointless and random death can be. As has been said, Wash's sudden death in Serenity really sent the tension through the roof for that last sequence. It depends on the story and the writing. Certainly a poorly written or randomly shoehorned in death is bad, in the way of anything done poorly.
> 
> But the question of whether you like it when characters die is really a different thing than whether the death was a necessary part of the story, and this is where a lot of subjectivity comes in. A lot of people react to that attachment, I think, more than to the actual function of the death in the plot. Yeah, it sucks to lose a main character you're attached to, but there are times when _not_ losing that character would be pretty trite. I find an artificially happy ending where everyone's okay and no one gets hurt--at least in stories that come to a climax that up to that point has been built up as having super high stakes and danger--to be fairly weak. Which isn't to say you should kill a character just because they're in a high stakes dangerous situation, but you also shouldn't avoid it if it's necessary. Personally, I don't think anything egregiously wrong with the deaths in the last Harry Potter book, for instance. I mean, given the situation they were in, I would have been more annoyed if no one had died. In "war" sometimes people die, and sometimes they're people you like. Without getting into a debate on whether the people who died were the best choices for it, because that's a different issue, I at least think it would have been a much weaker climax if nobody important had been touched.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do like stories with happy endings and no deaths too, if it's that kind of story and it's done well. I don't want to sound like a death junkie or anything.


You're right about the necessity sometimes of dying, especially in war novels. If a novel wants to be violent, then characters need to die. Or at least get hurt. Otherwise, the whole thing seems silly and pointless.


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Hmm, "like it" isn't really the point.  If a character's death is integral to the story line, then a writer has to pull the plug on that character.  If they're a main character, the death can be hard on a reader--but that IS the point.  To make the reader really experience emotions, whatever they might be, while reading the story.  

Miriam Minger


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## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

All depends, Josh. Every character should be created for a purpose,with enough background and history( depending upon the character's role in the novel) to become real to the reader. Just killing a character, without any emotion investment, is just a waste of words. Killing a character should mean something to the story and do something to the reader. A significant killing should leave the reader feeling loss (good guy) or glee (bad guy) or a mixture of feelings based on how the character was developed.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

In mystery, the bad guys have to die and sometimes a few that aren't  have to die to carry forward the mystery. That readers react in sadness means the author has done a good job of making the character sympathetic.


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## barbarasissel (Jul 4, 2011)

Miriam Minger said:


> Hmm, "like it" isn't really the point. If a character's death is integral to the story line, then a writer has to pull the plug on that character. If they're a main character, the death can be hard on a reader--but that IS the point. To make the reader really experience emotions, whatever they might be, while reading the story.
> 
> Miriam Minger


I agree, Miriam. You've really put this question in perspective!


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## amiblackwelder (Mar 19, 2010)

Contagion did he she thing...you cared for the characters and then they died, but even better these people were played by big stars and so that made it all the more -wow-
I like it...it shows risk and uniqueness...when everyone else wants a happy ending, and that he put effort in to build the characters...cool.


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## mattlynn (Jun 10, 2011)

It is even worse when you are a writer and you have to kill off characters. Because my books are about soldiers, it is inevitable that they get killed. Otherwise it wouldn't be realistic. But it is always painful....


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## Stacey Joy Netzel (Aug 3, 2011)

Though I understand at times it's necessary to the plot, and the writer's job is to evoke a reader's emotion, I don't like when a character dies.  That's why 95% of what I read is romance, for the happy ending.  And even then, there are characters that die and if it's a good character, I feel like I've lost a friend.  Great job to the writer for making me feel that way, but as a reader I'm too sad.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

I recently read a book where a very good character died and I didn't like it when it happened.  But as so many people in this thread have noted, that was exactly the point.  And the fact that the character died made the overall story better because of the way other characters had to deal with it.


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## Chris Turner (Jul 23, 2011)

I find I get moved when a hero who has done good deeds and saved a lot of people, dies at the end of the story in the line of duty.  There are numerous examples, many stirring.  I watched the film "Season of the Witch" recently with Nicholas Cage: it had that effect...


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## Rashaad Bell (Oct 7, 2011)

I like it when they kill off characters as long as it serves a purpose in the story. In TV however, its rare that a main cast member dies, because you already know that so and so has signed on for so many seasons. however, SPOILER, Game of Thrones was kinda the first show I watched that threw that out the window.

I can understand why certain authors don't kill off their main character. If the series  makes money it doesn't seem right for the author to kill them off, which is why Anne Rice never killed of Lestat.


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## elaine young (Oct 5, 2011)

I like it,I prefer tragedy to comedy.Tragedy is more moving than comedy.
As a reader,I think so.By the way,if the characters are very bad,they should die,I will feel so happy.
Oh yeah!


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## normcowie (Jun 21, 2011)

It's almost human nature to hate it when a character you like it killed, and love it when a bad guy bites the big one. I think it's the mark of a great author who can kill a likeable character in a way that the reader doesn't feel cheated.

I tried killing a likeable character in the first book I ever wrote, but it didn't get published, so I don't know if it worked. I killed some bad guys in my most recent book, and I don't think anyone misses them (a lobbyist and a politician - heh).


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

I think it's courageous of an author to kill off a major character. Makes me respect him/her.


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## JamesHutchings (Feb 27, 2011)

joshtremino said:


> So how do you feel when characters die?


Not half as bad as when they bring them back in an unconvincing way.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Miriam Minger said:


> Hmm, "like it" isn't really the point. If a character's death is integral to the story line, then a writer has to pull the plug on that character. If they're a main character, the death can be hard on a reader--but that IS the point. To make the reader really experience emotions, whatever they might be, while reading the story.
> 
> Miriam Minger


Great observation, Miriam. When a reader cares enough about the characters to get that attached to them, that is when a writer has succeeded.


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## belindaf (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm pretty used to characters dying because I read plenty of horror. The one time I can think of that I've minded a character dying is Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin is ruthless!


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## Thomas D. Taylor (Oct 12, 2011)

When I write, the plot sometimes demands that a character die and I have no choice but to kill him or her off. I don't like to see them go. I know that sounds strange, but when I write, I form bonds with them for the duration of time they actually exist.

Oddly, in my latest novel, I killed off a character I didn't like but the plot FORCED me to bring him back, and so I made a plausable explanation for his return.


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## TheGapBetweenMerlons (Jun 2, 2011)

Thomas D. Taylor said:


> I don't like to see them go. I know that sounds strange, but when I write, I form bonds with them for the duration of time they actually exist.


Maybe not so strange... I recently finished reading _Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die_ (a highly-recommended read!) and when they talk about the power of stories (to make ideas stick, of course), they talk about how we "experience" what is going on in a story even though we're not physically experiencing it. So when you're developing a character, or reading about a character, and you feel you know that character very well, when the character dies you may actually "experience" the grief of losing someone, even though that someone only existed in your mind. (This is my extrapolation from what is in the book, but I think it's valid.) And that's my excuse for getting a bit moist in the eyes when I finished the first draft of the book I mentioned earlier in this thread.


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## Matt Heppe (Oct 5, 2011)

Nothing creates a genuine sense of jeopardy in a novel than the death of a significant character. Fantasy novels often place their characters in extremely dangerous situations, but they somehow always come out ok. When an author has a character die it can really amp up the sense of danger for the reader.


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## samanthawarren (May 1, 2011)

I've been known to throw a book in the freezer and sob hysterically when one of my favorite characters dies in a book. And I hate JK Rowling as much as I love her for that fact alone. But I think it's the mark of a truly great author when they can get you to love a figment of their imagination so much you feel like you lost a friend when that person is killed in a fictional story.

However, I think an author can go overboard, too. Take GRRM, for example. In _The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy I_, there's a quote about plotting: 
_"Have as many characters as you can cram into a storyline, and then add even more, because it will make the plot interesting. Anytime the roster of characters gets too big to handle, just make a massacre that kills off half of them, and then continue with the plot, basing it on surviving ones."_ 
Now, the author was joking, but I think GRRM may have taken that advice to heart. He's a great author, but he kills off sooooo many people, it almost makes you afraid to get attached to any one character.


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## WilliamEsmont (May 3, 2010)

If it works for the story, yes. If it's to rack up body count, then no. I got my fill of that watching Jason movies as a kid..


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## Tim Greaton (Sep 8, 2011)

I have to admit that I HATE it when major protagonists die. I just don't want a downer in my fiction. I, however, absolutely agree that characters should be dragged through the thickest possible mud, but I want everyone intact with hope come the end of the book. I really dispised "No Country for Old Men" the movie for that reason.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

We've become so used to the disposable character that it doesn't have much impact when they die. At one time, the disposable redshirt may have demonstrated the danger, but we get used to that pretty quickly. Killing characters is like a strong spice that should be used very sparingly, a little goes a long way. And it should have far ranging impacts. If a character dies, and it doesn't shake things up, then it is too casual. I also think the villain being arrested rather than killed to be a refreshing change of pace.


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## Griffin Hayes (Sep 20, 2011)

I'm more upset when a main character dies and I don't care. If the author hasn't spent time and energy caring about his characters enough to flesh them out, why should I care?


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## Matt Larkin (Sep 27, 2011)

belindaf said:


> I'm pretty used to characters dying because I read plenty of horror. The one time I can think of that I've minded a character dying is Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin is ruthless!


So true. And the longer the series runs, the more attached I grow to the remaining characters.

I can't say I like it when a character dies (usually). But I can accept that that's the idea. You're supposed to feel the pain of losing a character you care about. If you're not a bit upset about a central character's death, the death had no impact on the story.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

If the story is supposed to be at all suspenseful, with lots of dangerous situations, then yes, characters needs to die. Otherwise, it becomes obvious to the reader that no matter what happens, everyone is going to be all right and the suspense is gone. For example, we all knew that Ron, Hermione, and Harry would survive to the end of the series, so none of their "dangerous" situations were really suspenseful. Same goes for Han, Luke, and Leia.


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## FunLondon (Oct 15, 2011)

It depends how it's done and who it is that dies. I like when a really bad guy finally gets what's coming to him. Some characters have done so many evil things that I cheer when they die. I've also been unhappy when some characters were killed off. For example, I would have liked to see Sirius Black (in Harry Potter) live longer.


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2011)

FunLondon said:


> It depends how it's done and who it is that dies. I like when a really bad guy finally gets what's coming to him. Some characters have done so many evil things that I cheer when they die. I've also been unhappy when some characters were killed off. For example, I would have liked to see Sirius Black (in Harry Potter) live longer.


YES! Bad guys need to die. I hate it when they live forever for some annoying reason. They get defeated over and over again but they never DIE.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

There are some books where I wish the main character would die. Often.


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## K. D. Jones (Oct 17, 2011)

It really depends, for me. I don't exactly *mind* characters being killed off, provided they either A) deserved it (because everyone wants the total douchebag to get it!), or B) there's a clear-cut reason for killing off the character (as in it's unavoidable due to a plot point). I kind of admire writers who aren't afraid of killing off cast members. Sometimes it makes the scenes more poignant. Sure, I'm sad to see my favorite characters die, but just like in real-life, death isn't something we exactly "like" happening either. It's just kind of there, and a natural part of life.


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

I think some authors use this device for shock value or sometimes simply as a story reversal.

Brian January

_edit -- sorry, self-promotion is not allowed in the Book Corner.  -- Ann_


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## Xreader (Oct 23, 2011)

I always feel something like sad or unexpected or loss if an important character dies.


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## trixycae (Oct 23, 2011)

I've become so desensitized these days that I don't seem to mind even when main characters are killed off but if it is a romance novel it sometimes still catches me out when unexpected characters die.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate it when a main character dies at the END of a book. Actually, I pretty much hate it when a favorite character is killed off (The final Harry Potter was just brutal for me.. I cried through the entire book.) 

Back before I had a Kindle I would throw books across the room... I can't do that anymore.


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## jayreddy publisher (Jun 13, 2011)

If I have any emotional reaction when a main character in a book dies, it shows me the author did a great job developing the character. I want to have some type of emotional reaction when reading a story, so I don't mind if a character dies in a story.


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