  Spiritual
This week: The Death Of A Character Edited by: Kit  
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The concept of death can be a powerful tool in a writer's arsenal. However, it is one that should be used with care... This week's Spiritual Newsletter has a look at death in fiction, and at how to handle such an emotive topic.
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There's an old saying by Benjamin Franklin that "there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes." For many of us, though we know that it's inevitable, death is something we try to push out of our minds. It's natural to not want to think about it. We may be pretty certain about what's on the other end of it, or we may not be certain at all, but what we do know is that death comes hand in hand with pain and loss - either our own or that of the people we leave behind.
Many people are averse to the idea of death. This makes it a powerful tool in the arsenal of a writer. I'm not ashamed to admit that if a novel or series is well written, I get attached to the characters. I go on a journey with them, sharing their happiness, laughter, tears and sadness. I don't want things to end badly for them and I'll be honest - if something does happen, it's not unknown for me to have tears in my eyes.
I think it's important that the death of a character has a purpose. It's alright if that purpose isn't evident at that very moment, but it should be revealed later on. Perhaps a character sacrifices themselves for their friends, or to help achieve the character's goal. Perhaps the death has an effect on another character and helps them to learn and grow. The impact can be great or subtle, but there needs to be something as a result, especially if the character was a leading one.
The avoidance of death has led to many a bestselling genre. Over the years, the demand for vampire novels has ebbed and waned, with Anne Rice's vampires probably amongst the most popular ones. More recently, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer has become a sensation, introducing us to the concept of sparkly vampires.
If I had to make a prediction, I'd say that vampire novels are here to stay. It's easy to understand the allure of eternal life, and the romantic struggles between the mortal and the immortal have proven irresistible to a not insignificant readership.
Vampires are not the only ones to avoid death (in the sense that we know it) in fiction. Some authors send their characters on a search for the fountain of youth, or the elixir of life, or the holy grail. The message is clear. Death is something that many people want to postpone for as long as possible.
Whilst novels on this theme are popular, there is a downside for aspiring authors, especially those who want to write a vampire story. If you want to make your story stand out amongst the crowd, your vampires will have to be unique and special. Anne Rice managed this with her complex, mesmerizing characters. Lynsay Sands has managed it by mixing a different origin of vampirism with a good dose of humour. I do think that the best novels on immortality outline the fact that the avoidance of death is not all that it's made out to be. It has consequences, and some of these consequences are negative.
Death in fiction brings the author endless possibilities to stir emotions in their readers. I do recommend to use it well and use it wisely, and to keep your readers in mind. The loss of a character can have a huge impact on your tale, so it's important to consider if it's worth it. You could end up with a very indignant audience, if you're not careful!
kittiara
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in!
writer_rob  - Hi. I really enjoyed your newsletter this morning. I was in a funk and I try to do mitzvahs as often as I can. the other day, a woman was ahead of me in line. She had 3 tings, I had about 10. I was very surprised when she said that I could go ahead of her. I thanked her and smiled at her and that incident made my whole afternoon. Small things CAN make a difference.
Thanks again.
Rob McCabe--Writer/Storyteller/Performance Artist/Activist/Puppeteer.Magician
Hi Rob! How lovely of that lady, and how wonderful that your day brightened up like that! I'm glad it happened to you  .
~~~
intuey  - Hey Kittiara,
Great NL! Unfortunately, I could relate very well with your words. I have always been a people person and loved being around others, until life broke me so completely, I isolated myself totally- I got tired of people hurting me in the end, or always wanting something. The hard lesson learned is the old saying is true: It is better to have love and lost, then to have never loved at all (that includes, maybe even more than a soul mate, friends) life can be very empty without friends, close or not- we're human and need the human experience of others. ((hugs))
Tracey
*hugggz* I'm so sorry that happened to you, Tracey. I hope that life's improving for you now.  .
~~~
Kate - Writing & Reading  - Kittiara, thanks for sharing your story as a call to action. As writers, we observe and perceive the world in which we travel with more depth than many others. An act as simple as catching a door for someone with an armload of books or a smile and brief compliment not only brightens a moment of their day but, admit it, like the rainbow in a summer raindrop, makes us as well stand straighter as we embrace our day. Thank You, you're Aces! Kate
Thank you so much for your kind words, Kate! I definitely agree with your observations!
~~~
Christine Cassello - I was like you very distrustful of people and suspicious of the motives of "do gooders" until God convinced me that by not believing in other people's goodness, I was not believing in either my own or His. Now I do believe that most people are decent and trying to be good. Even if they commit crimes there is sometimes, or often a good motivation behind their action, like the character in Les Miserable who steals a loaf of bread because his family is starving. Jesus knew all about this when He told us to love God and others as we love ourselves. This is God's plan for us.
Thank you so much for writing in! I very much agree with your words!
~~~
Zeke  - I agree completely that RAOK is a great life philosophy. The only additional thing I would add is that it should be RAOUK. Random Acts of Unexpected Kindness.
That is very, very true. Random Acts of Unexpected Kindness are the ones that have the most meaning.
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team:
Sophy  , kittiara - and various wonderful people  .
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Spiritual: June 23, 2010 Issue [#3821]
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