Character death

[zelotwo02]

So like I want one of the character in my novel dead but I don't know how to do it, I mean I know the scene I'm picturing it in my head but I don't know how should I write it so that the atmosphere will be sad or something? But it's not like I want the readers to cry, I just want the readers to atleast feel sympathy to the character, I mean she's sacrificing herself for mc's survival...

 

[SailusGebel]

To make readers show or feel sympathy for the character, readers should like and get attached to the said character.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Just show it is a meaningful death. I had one of my side characters who barely showed up, but he was a good friend to MC when they were younger. And their death still affected my readers and the story.

Thus the important thing about a character dying is how well-liked they are. Were they good? Were they bad? Did they mean something to the MC or to someone else? Those types of things are the important parts.

Otherwise, a reader won't sympathize with the character. This, show how meaningful her death is. Like what changes in the MC? Does he hurt? Does it affect his psyche in any way?

A death should be something big that happens even when it is a side character. After all, there is no turning back after that is done. *Usually.*

 

[xluferx]

The common trope is having them in deadbeats and utter final words maybe you can work with that but is too repetitive

 

[LoliGent]

One good way to do it is to make the antagonist, or whoever is going to kill the character, a real scumbag. Like really terrible. It'll make the reader want the adversary pay for what they did and mourn the poor victim. Though be careful with this as some readers will take it out on you for doing so, but these people probably can't tell the difference between reality and fiction anyway.

 

[SakeVision]

I have the same dilemma. At first, I wanted to keep it short "got shot in the head, pieces of their brain flew out and they were dead" but I thought it's perhaps too minimalist? So now I have a new idea, kill them really slowly, first mutilate them in a brutal fashion, describing all the damage done, then write how wounds got infected, finally when it seems they are recovering, have the villain kill them, pieces of their brain flow out and they are dead~

 

[zelotwo02]

One good way to do it is to make the antagonist, or whoever is going to kill the character, a real scumbag. Like really terrible. It'll make the reader want the adversary pay for what they did and mourn the poor victim. Though be careful with this as some readers will take it out on you for doing so, but these people probably can't tell the difference between reality and fiction anyway.

The killer is pretty twisted indeed, he even threw the head of the dead mother in front of her daughter while laughing saying "Yes!! Show me more of that face!!”

Just show it is a meaningful death. I had one of my side characters who barely showed up, but he was a good friend to MC when they were younger. And their death still affected my readers and the story.

Thus the important thing about a character dying is how well-liked they are. Were they good? Were they bad? Did they mean something to the MC or to someone else? Those types of things are the important parts.

Otherwise, a reader won't sympathize with the character. This, show how meaningful her death is. Like what changes in the MC? Does he hurt? Does it affect his psyche in any way?

A death should be something big that happens even when it is a side character. After all, there is no turning back after that is done. *Usually.*

I don't know about that... The mc and the character who will die had a "fight" before the event (The character (female) kinda tried to r*pe the mc(a female also) and the dense mc who didn't get it blames herself thinking she's still the terrible villainess) or something, I don't know how to describe it

 

[SerikoLee]

The impact of a character death depends on how you introduce the character and make the character beloved by the fanbase or hated.
All to the fanbase making the character like Hitler or someone terrible like redo of healer terrible.
So yea making someone hated depends on you make the story.

 

[LilTV1155]

The killer is pretty twisted indeed, he even threw the head of the dead mother in front of her daughter while laughing saying "Yes!! Show me more of that face!!”

I don't know about that... The mc and the character who will die had a "fight" before the event (The character (female) kinda tried to r*pe the mc(a female also) and the dense mc who didn't get it blames herself thinking she's still the terrible villainess) or something, I don't know how to describe it

1st layer. Horrible Trauma
2nd layer. Extra Trauma + Mistreatments + Abuses from peers
3rd layer. Tragedy trauma from failure
4th layer. Optional Torture drama
5th layer. Motive for survival instinct wake up call
6th layer. Break the character's spirit up and put it back together by giving us a reason to live.
7th layer. Give character someone to believe in and protect
8th layer. Make the character feel emotion. Give character a choice to live or die.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

I don't know about that... The mc and the character who will die had a "fight" before the event (The character (female) kinda tried to r*pe the mc(a female also) and the dense mc who didn't get it blames herself thinking she's still the terrible villainess) or something, I don't know how to describe it

Hmm, if you want them to sympathize with a rapist/attempted one... That is a hard pill to swallow, so I think that won't happen. Unless there is a small redemption arc. I mean, there is a lot of redeeming, but death alone... I don't think will make anyone feel better about that character. *I am just talking about the assault.*

I mean it is possible, but it won't be for all readers. Still, you can still give them a meaningful death.

 

[LilTV1155]

Hmm, if you want them to sympathize with a rapist/attempted one... That is a hard pill to swallow, so I think that won't happen. Unless there is a small redemption arc. I mean, there is a lot of redeeming, but death alone... I don't think will make anyone feel better about that character. *I am just talking about the assault.*

I mean it is possible, but it won't be for all readers. Still, you can still give them a meaningful death.

Yeah. I can slightly understand murders. But assaults are no.

 

[zelotwo02]

Hmm, if you want them to sympathize with a rapist/attempted one... That is a hard pill to swallow, so I think that won't happen. Unless there is a small redemption arc. I mean, there is a lot of redeeming, but death alone... I don't think will make anyone feel better about that character. *I am just talking about the assault.*

I mean it is possible, but it won't be for all readers. Still, you can still give them a meaningful death.

No I didn't mean it like that rapist, it's like she's just too cute so she couldn't control herself and jumped at the mc, sorry hahaha

 

[Echimera]

There are many different ways and very few of them are bad per se.
If you want it shocking, you can go for a character being cut off mid-sentence by whatever kills them, maybe adding one or two lines of '...' to really bring in the shock the other characters feel, before continuing the description (think of the image going greyscale and slow motion with no sound while the body drops and everyone around is too stunned to do anything but watch).
You can have other characters be present or nearby, maybe even add a (partial) reconciliation after the lethal blow if the immediate danger for the others is low (Boromir from LotR, though the one he really should have made up with would have bee Frodo).

One good fit to take inspiration from might be Ace's death in One Piece.
MC about to get hit, the other character jumps in front tan takes the hit, but has time for a partial apology (apology, not justification), but doesn't finish it because their life literally drains out of them faster than they can finish what they want to say.

 

[Akivien]

Just show it is a meaningful death. I had one of my side characters who barely showed up, but he was a good friend to MC when they were younger. And their death still affected my readers and the story.

Thus the important thing about a character dying is how well-liked they are. Were they good? Were they bad? Did they mean something to the MC or to someone else? Those types of things are the important parts.

Otherwise, a reader won't sympathize with the character. This, show how meaningful her death is. Like what changes in the MC? Does he hurt? Does it affect his psyche in any way?

A death should be something big that happens even when it is a side character. After all, there is no turning back after that is done. *Usually.*

I remember once my teacher said 17 siecle writers worte in green as a symbole of luxury, refined writing and in purpose to have the aristocrates read it.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

No I didn't mean it like that rapist, it's like she's just too cute so she couldn't control herself and jumped at the mc, sorry hahaha

Hmm.. shouldn't have said tried to rape MC. That made me think it was a sexual assault. Though, jumping someone without consent is assault. And if it was sexual, well, that is where sexual assault comes into place. People will still not have sympathy for the character. Well, most.

I remember once my teacher said 17 siecle writers worte in green as a symbole of luxury, refined writing and in purpose to have the aristocrates read it.

Hm... I just simply like the color. It is pleasing to my eyes. But if some noble wants to read my text, so be it!

 

[Akivien]

Kitty del katto tatto, i this great duke minmin de tinto de pimo linlo the III shall read your novel, i expect only the best

 

[K5Rakitan]

Live the moment. Cry in the shower as you think about it. The rest will fall into place.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Kitty del katto tatto, i this great duke minmin de tinto de pimo linlo the III shall read your novel, i expect only the best

Only the best. This makes me scared.

 

[LilTV1155]

No I didn't mean it like that rapist, it's like she's just too cute so she couldn't control herself and jumped at the mc, sorry hahaha

That cuteness does not justify "assault" actions. That character's background cannot redeem what she just attempted to do or have done.

Also assaults are hardly something to laugh at just because the attacker is "opposite gender, cute, friendly, misunderstood, etc." because that topic can be triggering to other people sensitive to that sort of violence.

 

[ConcubusBunny]

Have a character death be important for character growth of characters in relationships to them, character growth for mc, story wise to show the severity of an enemy, to show a deep vulnerable side to a character that they won't show other wise.

In my opinion a character death should never be for shock value or for the audience to have sympathy towards them, those are weak story telling devices, the characters life should only be used to drive the quality or plot of a story forward.