There are many types of death for a character in a literary work, but by far the worst is where the cease to exist completely. I have had to provide that most depressing of deaths for a few characters over the last week. While they were all good people who I liked, they were either redundant, did not fit the tone of the rest of the story, or were simply holding the pacing back.
One survives in a sense. I gave his words to another character. He still impacts the story in a way, but now he does so without adding unnecessary characterization.
I love giving my characters… character. They are part of the biggest joy I get while writing. I know everything (or at least a lot) about them. I see them very clearly and want them to live a strong and productive life. Sadly, this isn’t always possible.
The most glorious death for a character is when they die on the page. That is a death that will be remembered and mourned (if the writer has any skill and feels any sympathy for the people they create). I have provided that for one as well. It haunts me to this day, but also gives me a certain peaceful feeling.
I know that readers will feel the impact of his loss. Even though he only exists alive for a few short pages in the text, his loss is felt throughout the entire (planned) story. I call it planned because I have only written one chapter. The rest is planned, and it is good.
I also finally began the process of editing Empire.
Seeing the words I wrote weeks ago getting improved is extremely rewarding. What was there is OK, but it will get better. Much better.
I will try to provide more updates here as things move forward. I am also going to work on a site for my overall writing, not just Empire. Once I have something I am happy with, that will become the main site I post from. I will also provide links here, so that anyone checking back will know there is new content and where to go to get it.
Please, post a comment or send me a message as you drop by the site. I would love to know who my potential readers are.
Be seeing you!
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