Should I kill my character?

All writers come to this question at one point or another in writing their novels. Should the character live, or is it better that they die? Of course, you ask your fellow writer friends, your beta readers, or your sister as you're lying in bed droning about your dilemma. There are many reasons for eliminating a character, and, while I will not go into all the details, I will provide you with a list of things to consider when making this choice. 

So, without further ado, 

SHOULD I KILL MY CHARACTER?

You should if...

1. It advances the plot

I've seen lots of writing advice saying if you're stuck on a certain scene, kill a character. I'm not a big fan of this, seeing as you might get unstuck on your scene now, but your plot later may be messed up from the removal of the character. You might accidentally remove someone who plays a major part in the story later on, or your plot may take on an uncomfortable angle. While you shouldn't feel too tied down to your written plot during the first draft, later drafts of your WIP may fall apart. Murders, assassinations, and similar removal of characters should be done tactfully, and fit into your plot. 

2. It supports your theme

Similar to what I discussed above, a removal of the character must fit with your theme. If your theme doesn't include death or tries to make a completely unrelated point, removing your character might not be the best idea. My best advice on this would be to revisit your theme make clarifications to see if the type of death your character will suffer fits in with the story's message.  

3. It adds to the mood of your story

The way you kill a character and the way you describe their death will have a huge impact on your story. Since you want a consistent vibe throughout your book, match the description to the vibe in your novel. A fatal electric shock might be appropriate for a dystopian novel, but not for a story set in a calm Amish town. Be mindful of what kind of novel you are writing and how your style and the plot work together. 

4. Other characters move along their character arcs. 

Hannah was always a happy, cheerful girl. She lived with her mom in Vegas. Even middle school bullies couldn't dampen her happy personality. One day, she came home in an especially good mood. She'd gotten an A on her math test. Her mom would be so proud. Maybe they would even go out for ice cream. 

She ran up the front steps and whacked the doorbell. When no one answered, she rang again. After a few minutes, she knew something was wrong. She slid through her bedroom window and anxiously tiptoed into the kitchen. Her mother lay on the floor unconscious. By the time the ambulance came, it was already too late. 

This kind of character death could set the other characters on an arc. Perhaps this event would shatter Hannah, and the rest of the story would be how she learned to support herself. Or maybe, this made her angry and she joined a local gang, rising in their ranks until she became a Mafia leader. 

The tragic event needs to spur the remaining persons in your novel down the character arcs you’ve designed for them. Knowing each of the other characters, you know how they would respond to their friend (or enemy) passing. This will affect them long-term, and you should consider this when writing a death. 

5. It shows everyone else the danger / shows the strength of the evil. 

Are your characters climbing Mount Everest looking for long-lost treasure? Or a cure for the disease that has wiped out millions? Maybe one of them doesn’t secure their rope tight enough and falls to his death. This would remind the rest of them of the danger and significance of their mission. 

Maybe your character crossed paths with the villain who was already having a bad day and really did not need someone slashing his tires. The villain takes them out on the spot. The hero and his friends see how heartless the villain is or how little he values life. 

Using death to bring gravity to a situation or show the high stakes is a good reason to kill a character. 

*If your novel is less dramatic, a severe injury could also be used to this effect. Maybe a character is left in a wheelchair for the rest of his life after the incident. Maybe he is angry or deeply traumatized. (This variation pulls reader heartstrings.)

6. Increasing intensity

If you're writing the whole novel from the perspective of one character (or dual character in first person), you can put pressure on your main character by removing an ally or a friend. You can kill someone they leaned on, have someone else betray them, and get them beat up on the way home from work. Throw a bunch of things at them. Turn every odd against them. 

*If using this approach, put pressure on them from different areas. Giving them news of a sick or dying friend or ally would make the rest of the stress harder to bear. 

You probably shouldn’t if…

1. You merely want to shock the readers. 

If you’re going to kill off a character for a jump scare effect, you shouldn’t. Readers can tell when you’re cheap with your characters, and they won’t appreciate having their feelings thrown around. 

2. You're going to bring them back

Many, many novels have characters that are presumed dead that later turn up in the story. If you're going to make it seem like a character died and you bring them back the next time you need them, you cannot help but seem cliche. I would strongly discourage you from using this idea unless you have an extremely original, nontraditional twist on this trope.

3. The show cannot go on without them

This one is pretty obvious, but if removing a character will collapse your entire plot, don't kill them. You could do a little writing on the side and create a hypothetical situation in which that character dies. You can use this technique to learn more about your plot and the other characters, but for actual novel work, stay to what keeps everything working. The plot might seem chaotic from the characters' points of view, but everything needs to make sense from your end. 

Conclusion

Whether or not you decide to kill your character, do it with tact, focusing on the other characters, and weaving your story in a beautiful way that draws readers in and gives glory to God. 

I love you all. Happy writing :)

Thank you for reading! Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Will you kill your character, or did I talk you out of it?