As I write, I often ask myself several times during the story the age old question: to kill or not to kill? I discovered something quite interesting along my writer’s journey. When I need to shake things up, I kill someone. I mean what other sure fire means can you use to muster characters who are headed for a lull? Or to boost that sagging middle? Death brings out the best and worst in people, and I find it can kick stat my creative juices as I’m cruising along wondering what the hell I’m going to write next. Murder I write, and murder shakes everything up and I never know where the dust is going to settle. I like throwing my characters into the lions den so to speak, and see how they react. Sometimes they really surprise me, and sometimes, another diabolical mind emerges.
Who to kill? With the exception of the h/h in romance, everyone is expendable. It’s the same in life, but more so because even the h/h are vulnerable to attack. Yes, everyone is expendable, and it’s amazing to me to watch what happens when a character bites the big one, and goes on to happy hunting grounds. I like throwing wrenches at my characters, I like stirring up the plot with a stiff. My motto is, “When in doubt knock someone off.” Some writers take the when-in-doubt-make-them-have-sex road. Not me. While I do write a hot story the sex can’t be forced. But murder can. Death can be a red herring, another plot twist or just a freak of nature, but what it does is shake things up and force characters to react. Reaction equals action, action is good and usually forces the characters to move outside of their comfort zone and therefore grow. And here we come full circle to the all important character growth. I love characters who rise to challenge and while they may not make the correct choice or take the high road they will learn and make the correction for the next time life interrupts with a dead body flung in front of them, or some other plot twist. Yes, murder builds character, and I strive to build a strong character.
Murder is the getty-up and go I use to start, continue and complete a story, what do you use?