Writing "Whenever you get stuck, kill a character"

[Iloveshovels]

Actually, this is some pretty solid advice. To anyone looking at the replies to see if the can divine the meaning without actually reading. Just read it. You'll find helpful advice here. I promise.

Never. I need no advice.

 

[beast_regards]

Yes.

Kill the main character.

What could go wrong?

It couldn't possibly affect the flow of the overarching story in any meaningful way, could it?

I could image it already.

The heroine in the middle of the love triangle wonders whether to select the ruggedly handsome Richard or handsomely rugged Victor, and then ....

Suddenly, out of the swirling portal of eldritch energies, a mysterious Toyota truck emerges and hits Victor. A blood splashes on the white paint of the truck, the body is thrown, and the Toyota trucks speeds away.

Perhaps our heroine wouldn't be conflicted, but ...

... but even Victor gone, she still couldn't choose ruggedly handsome Richard!

With the squealing wheels, the Toyota truck turns, engine roaring. Richard tries to run, but the Toyota heavy truck was faster....

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Yes.

Kill the main character.

What could go wrong?

It couldn't possibly affect the flow of the overarching story in any meaningful way, could it?

I could image it already.

The heroine in the middle of the love triangle wonders whether to select the ruggedly handsome Richard or handsomely rugged Victor, and then ....

Suddenly, out of the swirling portal of eldritch energies, a mysterious Toyota truck emerges and hits Victor. A blood splashes on the white paint of the truck, the body is thrown, and the Toyota trucks speeds away.

Perhaps our heroine wouldn't be conflicted, but ...

... but even Victor gone, she still couldn't choose ruggedly handsome Richard!

With the squealing wheels, the Toyota truck turns, engine roaring. Richard tries to run, but the Toyota heavy truck was faster....

One possible flaw in this example - wouldn't the heroine be the victim of Truck-Kun here and not one of the two guys if you're killing the MC?

 

[Envylope]

I do remove characters from scenes when I get stuck. Sometimes if I am completely stuck, I will actually just switch perspectives entirely from the main cast. And often it helps me come up with what was supposed to happen to the main cast. In turn, it also helps build the world out more and fill it with life.

 

[TreasureHouse]

"whenever stuck, they fuck."

 

[Envylope]

"whenever stuck, they fuck."

The smut writing advice that CEOs don't want you to know about.

 

[Valmond]

Now I got a hilarious idea. Revenge against Truck-kun, Truck-kun becomes the main antagonist.

 

[beast_regards]

One possible flaw in this example - wouldn't the heroine be the victim of Truck-Kun here and not one of the two guys if you're killing the MC?

True.

The heroine should be a victim.

However, perhaps it is better this way with the heroine alive, and her love interest killed, the plot would move forward.

But it could go a little further, kill the heroine too, and then transform the story in the police procedure drama about catching the dangerous killer in the white truck.