I've been working on the first draft of the follow-up to my first novel, Lovestruck Succubus since about August of 2010. Okay, not so much a draft but would you believe general outline? Well, maybe I've gotten just a little farther than that. Problem is, in this next novel, I'm going to have to kill of some characters and I must say ... it's killing me.
No, I'm not going to divulge which character (or characters) I've slated for execution. You'll just have to wait and read the next installment to find out.
I suppose this is why it is taking me so long to finish the story. I've grown to love all my characters, even the bad ones, and I loath to let any of them go. I read a lot, and know that many stories start with characters that don't make it to the finale, but they're usually minor characters--and these are major players I'm talking about here.
What about you? How do you feel about major characters taking the long nap in stories? Are you okay with it, as long as they're bad seeds? What if one of the heroes of the story dies? Do you throw the book and run from the room, texting all your friends to avoid this author as you go? Or, are you okay with it?
Just a refresher for those of you who've never been privy to my ramblings about future stories (I know, something a writer should never do. Leave me alone, snobby writers) or who've simply forgotten, the next story in the series is titled Demon Among Wolves. In this installment, Azra is living in Ellijay with Raif, who accepted the pack's offer to join them.
She must maintain the facade that she is a shape shifting werewolf like the rest of them. In the course of the story, we'll find out that Tarmin was not as bad off as Azra thought he was when she last saw him. He is working in the background, building an army of demons to rid the world of that nasty virus they created eons ago called werewolves. He figures taking out Azra will be a bonus. Meanwhile, Azra is doing her best to keep the rest of the pack believing she's one of them while she mysteriously starts to become, not more like them, rather, more like a mortal human. Something is amiss, and she soon, but maybe not soon enough, realizes there be spies in the family.
It all climaxes in an epic battle in which lives are lost, sacrificed, and spared in order to move forward. I won't give away the ending, but suffice it to say, no one will be spared their innocence, and the few that remain to rebuild will be few.
Anyway, this is where I struggle. by creating this epic battle in which lives are lost, I am forced to decide who lives, and who dies.
I leave you with this. Does it matter to you if characters die in a story? Are you okay with it if the lives sacrificed are for a greater good?
What are your thoughts? Comments and criticisms welcome.
Hi Ellison,
ReplyDeleteAs you know I'm yet to write any fiction, even though I'm working on my second book. But when I do I see nothing wrong with killing off characters even if they're the good souls, as long as this enhances your story.
I suppose, and some might argue with me here, if you're an indie author there is no right or wrong way to write a book, as long as you keep the storyline captivating. You don't have to stick with just one genre either, you can cross them over if you wish.
I wish you well with your story, I hope it all works out for you in the end.
Thank you for the comment. I'm anxiously awaiting your next book. I agree, and the ability to write whatever I want is one of the things I like best about writing and publishing independently. You might have seen my Wednesday posts about works in progress. I'm currently working feverishly to finish the first draft of a novel (still untitled) centering around two minor characters from Lovestruck Succubus. This novel promises to be full of suspense, action, and romance. So far, it has no erotica. Another great thing about being independent - I am not cornered into writing a series within a single genre. What's the worst that could happen? It won't sell that well? Been there, done that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for the comment and the encouragement.
No problem Ellison, my top rule is to keep all of my fans happy ;). Glad to know you want to read my next book - that makes me very happy indeed!
ReplyDeleteOkay, first off... I love the picture with this post. So funny.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of murder for dramatic effect. BUT! In my opinion, there should always be a little hole in the corner of the box, a little trap door on stage - just in case you need to resurrect the character to fill a story line later.