Killing Your Darlings

This is a popular saying when you're writing.  Killing your darlings, for those who do not know, is a way of saying that you should think about if and when to kill off characters.  The big three of killing their darlings are J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and George R.R. Martin but there are others who do the same.  In my opinion, Rowling is the best at the art of killing her darlings, as she did it during times when there were going to be body counts.  She did not kill off characters for what felt like we hadn't had a character death in a while either.

If you can't tell, I didn't get past the first book of A Song of Fire and Ice.  I like my fantasy to be less dark but I know that's not popular opinion.  Feel free to send the flames at me if you must.

When I get into the idea of killing my darlings, it usually seems to be those who are slated to die due to their actions.  That means that the bad guys die but the good guys seem to have the same amount or more of the people they started with.  I would say this goes along with the authors I read, but it's not the case.  There are losses on both sides and, as I grow more as a writer, that is how it went into my writing as well.  Both side suffer losses but good triumphs in the end.  However, I like a good happy ending and I write what I like to read.  Others do not and that's perfectly fine.

Now, to get into the when to kill your darlings.  The when goes along with your plot.  To give you an idea for Mystery of the Dark, the deaths in that novel happen during high points in the plot.  For example, the good side has losses in the midpoint of the novel but, near the end, the bad guys die due to being against the good guys.  The good side didn't want to kill the bad guys, due to plot and wanting to find out more, but it happens anyways.  Now, there are other deaths that get sprinkled along, but you really need to find when it's right for your novel.  Is it okay for someone to die in the first chapter?  Maybe.  If you're writing a mystery novel, someone's possibly dead before the novel even begins.  So, I would trust your plot and go with when it feels right.  I would also, when you're done, either hire an editor after you are done editing or reading the novel yourself, and see what they say about when and where you're killing your darlings.  You might be heavy handed but it's good for plot.

What I'm getting at is that it is going vary depending on your story.  However, if you're stuck at a plot point with no clue what to do next, sometimes killing a side character (or two!) might get the plot rolling again.  Just make sure that it's not your main character and you'll be fine.  Readers, when do you feel it's right to kill off a character?  Do you ever feel like an author hasn't done enough death or too much?  Feel free to share in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.

Until next time, keep on writing!