Thursday, 10 December 2015

KIlling off your favourites

Following on my recent blog on conflict in fiction, it reminded me of a conversation with a very good writer, who said: “I do not like making horrible things happen to my characters.“
I can understand that entirely: yes, I have hurt my beloved main characters but could I hurt them really seriously or even kill them off? Probably not.
But perhaps I am wrong because conflict is central to writing and that can mean really bad things happening to really good people.
Why? Because stories need things to happen and it is through seeing characters in conflict that we see them at their truest. 
You can also develop a character through conflict ie the meek little parlour maid becomes the towering heroine of the story.
In addition, conflict can evoke a strong reaction in a reader and make for good drama - and if that is happening, then writing becomes easier.

John Dean

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