I killed someone today… Getting rid of characters you know your readers love

Today I was writing the sequel to Love 1o1. Lots of readers want to know what happened…

So I decided to answer their question. A five thousand word story has end becoming a fifty thousand word story and I have myself to blame.a

Well, I really have Evan Crane to blame. I’m falling in love with him and jealous Ms.Cheyenne Roberts gets to have him. Yet, with any male character I create, he’s never easy to fall in love with.

So I’m writing and I decided to incorporate “clients” that my readers love. Now at the time I incorporate them I never thought I would end up killing them.

I mean I usually know who I’m gong to kill right off. I know a secondary character who’s not very important is going to die… kinda like in Star Trek and the nameless crewmen who go off ship with the captain.

This time, I started with the premise as the “clients’ serving as secondary people to help the main characters work out their flaws and get together, but I knew only something tragic would bring these stubborn people together.

So I killed a character that I know my readers would know and love.

HOW DO YOU KILL SOMEONE?  (or at least kill off fiction characters you’ve started to really care about)

Like I said it wasn’t planned – really, so I can’t go to Reader Prison for this. I don’t know if you would call it involuntary manslaughter, because when I first worked out the scene the character didn’t die and then I went to writing and… yeah, they had to die.

Killing someone is not just ending their life or putting a bullet in them and saying bamm you’re dead. No, this had to be something natural.

Of course I believe some writers go for the straight and easy kill. Getting access to a gun is easy in any story. Using a knife is the second easier. The third thing would be poison. Yeah, that’s so good sometimes. I love to brag how I have an encyclopedia on poison and I read it as much as I read the bible.

But the ultimate way a writer can kill a character is if you build up to a natural death. A death the reader didn’t expect to happen and it suddenly occurs just at the SHTF moment. (crap hits the fan moment)

I had to do my research because if they  were going to die naturally, I wanted to plan it out. Natural has to have a progression throughout the story and I had to make it evident to the reader, without really telling the reader.

I know that sounds confusing.

And the really sad thing about it was that when they were dying, I actually started to cry. I knew I would pay a cost and that my readers would hate me for this one, but I knew it had to happen.

Now my readers are probably screaming their heads off asking, WHO WAS IT?!

Yeah, you’re going to have to wait for that one…

Be on the look out for this one when I release the next installment to Love 101...

Love 102: Back To School.
… coming soon….

Haven’t read Love 101 yet?

Short description

A teacher mistaken as a student decides to push the envelope and explore her lustful instincts with a stranger.

Extended description

Young looking, prudish school teacher, Cheyenne Roberts, loses a bet with her students. She is forced to wear their horrible looking uniforms on the same day she meets sexy Evan Crane, who just wanted assistance in driving around Detroit.

Evan assumes she’s a student and Cheyenne doesn’t tell him any different. She’s amused as he fights his attraction to her.

Deciding to take advantage of his weakness and her own mounting attraction to him, Cheyenne kisses Evan.

That’s when her plan to just tease the stranger becomes a chance for her to live out her own reckless fantasy.

Download: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/39512

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Review by: Dr. K on July 31, 2011 : star star star star star
Good short book. Hopefully a sequel on the characters will follow.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Lizzie finnie on July 31, 2011 : star star star star star
I really enjoyed this book. However, I was also disappointed how short it was. I have so many unanswered questions. I really hope she comes out with a longer version.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Kimberly Jones on March 16, 2011 : star star star star
Loved this book from beginning to end.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

enjoy!!!

 

6 thoughts on “I killed someone today… Getting rid of characters you know your readers love

    1. i’m glad you guys can understand. it was good to write a blog post about it. took away the depression of losing the character and not feeling crazy for being so sad about this

  1. OMG Sylvia I just finished both Stealing Innocence I & II! more please and I want 2 be Lethal’s woman. LUV THAT MAN!!!! keep up the good work. U GO GIRL!!!!! 2 wings fries & a pepper and a nice cold drink

  2. Oooh, Sylvia, you are bold! I salute you. I remember wanting to kill off a character (who was going to have a natural death) and was advised against it. Now I’m thinking, “Hmmm…” LOL
    Great post! 🙂

    1. zetta, it was difficult, really. and i think that’s why a lot of writers don’t do it. especially when its a character they know their readers will love. i felt kindred spirits with jkrowling at that point knowing I had to let go of something i had created and had become quite close.

  3. oh thank you Yvonne. I think a lot of women have said that to me. LOL. I wouldn’t mind being lethal’s one night stand if he was real.

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