  Action/Adventure
This week: I'm Running Out of Room Under the Porch Edited by: Legerdemain  
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I'm Running Out of Room Under the Porch
It's funny, when you talk about writing with people who only have a passing interest, the question of killing characters often comes up. You describe your story and characters with a tingle of excitement and the first question they ask is if you kill anyone. I suppose they ask police officers the same thing. But, it's something to think about, isn't it? We often build a world and a plot in our heads, develop some characters and start writing. Err, well...I do. But do we think about killing our characters? I rarely do.
Many of the deaths we're exposed to in life are from old age or illness. All my uncles didn't pass from carjackings and getting knifed. While it's a quick and decisive exit from the story line, is it necessary? Before you off an antagonist, think about a few things. Why do I want to kill them...yes, they're ticking me off, but do they really need to die? How is this going to affect my main character and those around the antagonist? This creates a whole new dynamic in the story and slows down the flow. Do you want this to happen? Next, ask yourself if the death fits your story arc and choose a suitable exit. If it's a violent death, you've left a mess behind, so be sure to address that. There are companies that deal with CTS decon (crime or traumatic scene decontamination); do you want to use them in your story? And how to deal with the hazardous biological waste. No longer can we just stuff them under the porch.
As an author, I think about how I feel when I learn of a sudden death. I feel bereft and a little angry, then cry. If you've dealt with the death of someone close, and if you're ready, think about the series of feelings you went through after learning of the passing. These can be immensely helpful tools when subjecting your character to the same feelings. Lastly, if you pen a death scene, treat it seriously. Many readers can relate to those feelings and you have to take that into consideration. And of course, they'll cheer if the character truly deserved it. Write on!
This month's question: What is your favorite way to kill your character? And where do you hide the body?
Send in your reply below, responses are always welcome and much appreciated. |
Excerpt: Through the downpour, Mitch regarded the swollen river that had washed the bones ashore. “Thirteen days of rain,” he told the sheriff. “Must be a record.”
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Excerpt: As she stepped from the shower room, a strong explosion against the side of the ship threw her into the wall. Shrapnel ripped away her right arm just above the elbow, leaving dangling wires. Her right leg was also damaged a little with some of the wiring exposed.
Excerpt: The desert air seemed to vibrate softly, but no breeze blew. My opponent was half crouched before me, ready to attack or defend at any moment. The sun glinted off the curved knives in either of her hands, and a bead of sweat swelled beneath her shaggy hair and slipped down the side of her brown-skinned face.
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Excerpt: The grinding sound of his shifting bones ushered in the day. The funk of unwashed teeth and weeks-worn clothing billowed around him in a cloud that might’ve been visible to sensitive types. He scratched at his sparse beard, loosing some parasites he didn’t have a name for, and cursed the fact that he’d made it through another night alive.
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Excerpt: “The owner, this tiny old woman with the eyes of a child, told me the wildest story about this painting. Apparently, it’s magic.” He breathed the last words into her ear, and a chill ran through her.
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Excerpt: “What do I have to take?” Mike asked. He didn’t like the idea but he wanted to be part of the gang.
Excerpt: "A very, very long time ago," she began, "people and faeries lived peacefully together. Now, that's not to say that everyone saw faeries every day or had them as friends, but it wasn't uncommon for folks to see a small cluster of lights dancing in the air in the cool of the evening."
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This month's question: What is your favorite way to kill your character? And where do you hide the body?
Last month's question: So think about it, do we have to travel to another planet or universe to create something new?
The Run-on King PDG Member  responded: You know I created something new right here on earth mostly as the gate way to the universe. Why did Atlantis sink under the sea? Just how far advanced was Mu. What interesting alien artifact could be buried under ancient ruins? Who is that hidden race hiding next door you call neighbor? Most important are we really alone? What could we really find at the bottom of our own oceans?
The main point you brought out we have a whole world of our own to create adventure in. I think a lot of writers like to take us away from Earth because we don't want to deal with today's society. It is far better to be away from planet earth and deal with problems we can solve. Then stay here and try to undo the mess we find ourselves in. I know I'm guilty of that myself.
monty31802 answered: You never know-,Maybe... A fine Newsletter Leger. 
BIG BAD WOLF is hopping  said: Sometimes it happens.
Thanks for your feedback, responses are always welcome and much appreciated. |
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Action/Adventure: March 05, 2014 Issue [#6189]
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