Welcome 2012. This is my first
post for the year and today is Australia Day, or as we Ausies like to call it,
a good excuse for a bbq day.
Away with all the bright happy
stuff, I thought I'd talk about writing death scenes. There are many ways to
kill off a character, which most writers love doing. I mention few in this
blog, but would love to hear the different ways you slay your characters.
The deathbed scene: this usually
occurs when one of your characters has been struck down by illness, or injury,
old age, poison (if it's slow acting). I've written a few of these myself – the
raspy breaths, the fevers, the mumbled words before death. The deathbed scene
is a great way to set up mystery or leave things up in the air. The departing
never quite get to finish the words that will save the protagonist's life and
save the world. These tend not to be gory (unless someone is coughing up blood
or has pussy boils, etc...), though you can make them disturbing by changing the
level of agony in death.
Accidental: Can't say I've
written an accidental death scene before. I could imagine that this sort of
death might be used to break a character's spirit, or change the way they
perceive life and death. Any death scene should push the story along in some
way. This isn't my favourite. The king accidentally dying before he can sign
the peace treaty might give the antagonist a chance to continue the feud
between kingdoms, but it works better if the king is murdered by the antagonist
who makes it look like an accident. Maybe an accidental death sets off a chain
of events. Who know?
Suicide: I have written a suicide
scene recently. I really liked the character and didn't want her to die, but it
was necessary to help unleash the evil my protagonists had to face. Like the
accidental death, this is may set off a chain of events. The beginning of the
movie, Constantine, starts with a suicide, that effects the lead female
character and sends her on a journey to Hell.
Bloody Murder: Most of my death
scenes are a result of bloody murder. Swords, knives, teeth, bear hands, axes,
holding heads under water, pillows, poison, magic, fireballs are just a few ways
to kill off a character. Murder can add mystery, it can begin wars, incite acts
of revenge, send others into hiding, inspire terror. It's a dominating force in
fantasy. One character plotting murder against another character is always a
great tool and adds conflict. How bloody you go is up to you. There are,
however, a few things to take into consideration. Who is your audience? Can
they handle a lot of gore? Is it in your character's nature to be brutal?
Sometimes the hint of violence
can work much better than the gore, as it allows the reader's imagination to
take over. In my book I have a scene where a man is sacrificed by cannibals. I
needed to show that the threat of death to my protagonist was very real. I was
able to do it by taking the reader up to the point right before he's killed. It
was enough for them to know it was happening without having to show it. Whereas,
I have another character who was quite happy to watch his victims die. When he
kills I show the blood, as it fits his personality.
No matter what kind of death
scene you write, be sure that it helps to further either the plot, or your
characters' development for good or bad.
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