# How to kill off your main character?



## Burst (May 27, 2012)

I thought up an novel idea and I want to start it off with the death of my main character. I know this is probably frowned upon, but there's a reason why he's killed off and that becomes the drive to the story. So I need help finding out unique ways to kill him off. Anyone want to help?


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## ArielFingolfin (May 27, 2012)

If you want it to drive the plot then his death should probably have something to do with that. For example the age old plot of one guy being killed by the bad guy and his friend stiving to get revenge. How will his death impact the rest of the story?


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## Cassia (May 27, 2012)

Bomb?
Poison?
Should it be like a natural thing (landslide), accidental (war going on and they are not targeting him), or like an assanation?
There is a lot of ways you could go with that.


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## Ophiucha (May 27, 2012)

I'm not sure he counts as the main character if you kill him off in the beginning. I mean, he can be the main character of Chapter 1, but after that... surely whoever takes over is your 'main character'. It reminds me of the first _Evil Dead _film. It kind of made it seem like the girl was the main character, if there was one at all, but by the end, it was Ash who took front and centre. And everyone considers Ash to _be _the main character since that's how it ended up.

Anyway, killing him off in a way that drives the rest of the plot? Murder tends to drive stories. Revenge stories, specifically. What kind of story are you telling? If it's a story about characters dealing with grief on their own terms, a more solemn story, then it doesn't really matter how he dies. If it's a story that you want to end with a fight against a dragon, then he should probably be killed by the dragon. Or perhaps they want to resurrect him and they need the eye of a dragon to do so. Or you could have a bit of political subterfuge. Make your main character the king and the other characters his sons (and daughters?) fighting it out to get the throne. There are a million ways it could go and how he dies would depend on what you want the rest of the story to be about, really.


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## Cassia (May 27, 2012)

Well said!


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## Steerpike (May 27, 2012)

I can think of a few ways in which this could be the main character and die in chapter 1. 

That said, this would therefore be an extremely important and meaningful part of your story. As a writer, you really ought to come up with this yourself rather than asking others to think of something for you.


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## Ireth (May 27, 2012)

Your question reminds me of the book _The Lovely Bones_. The main character, Susie, is raped and murdered close to the start of the book, and the rest of it deals with her new existence in heaven as she watches over her family (and her rapist/killer, for some reason), and her family's struggles in trying to move on.


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## Burst (May 27, 2012)

Steerpike said:


> I can think of a few ways in which this could be the main character and die in chapter 1.
> 
> That said, this would therefore be an extremely important and meaningful part of your story. As a writer, you really ought to come up with this yourself rather than asking others to think of something for you.



I know, but I couldn't think of any other ways... that's why I was asking for help haha. 



Ophiucha said:


> I'm not sure he counts as the main character if you kill him off in the beginning. I mean, he can be the main character of Chapter 1, but after that... surely whoever takes over is your 'main character'. It reminds me of the first _Evil Dead _film. It kind of made it seem like the girl was the main character, if there was one at all, but by the end, it was Ash who took front and centre. And everyone considers Ash to _be _the main character since that's how it ended up.
> 
> Anyway, killing him off in a way that drives the rest of the plot? Murder tends to drive stories. Revenge stories, specifically. What kind of story are you telling? If it's a story about characters dealing with grief on their own terms, a more solemn story, then it doesn't really matter how he dies. If it's a story that you want to end with a fight against a dragon, then he should probably be killed by the dragon. Or perhaps they want to resurrect him and they need the eye of a dragon to do so. Or you could have a bit of political subterfuge. Make your main character the king and the other characters his sons (and daughters?) fighting it out to get the throne. There are a million ways it could go and how he dies would depend on what you want the rest of the story to be about, really.



I'm adding some fantasy and supernatural elements to it. He still remains my main character because he is resurrected by a Necromancer, who wants to use him... Maybe I could add in some mystery about his death?



Ireth said:


> Your question reminds me of the book _The Lovely Bones_. The main character, Susie, is raped and murdered close to the start of the book, and the rest of it deals with her new existence in heaven as she watches over her family (and her rapist/killer, for some reason), and her family's struggles in trying to move on.



I loved that movie. I didn't even know it was a novel. Wow.


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## Kenneth J. Ester (May 27, 2012)

He is murdered by the one person he trusts more than anyone else.

He dies in a failed attempt to save someone or losing a battle to an enemy.

He dies by giving his life to save another.

He can die of a disease that took him quickly.

Getting hit by a bus is always good. lol

He can commit suicide after realizing he wasted two hours of his life watching reality TV.

Ok, so not all the suggestions are serious. The disease idea was a total joke.


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## ThinkerX (May 28, 2012)

> He still remains my main character because he is resurrected by a Necromancer, who wants to use him...



failed hero.  He gave his life trying to stop something bad from happening, but it didn't work.  His undeath, should things work out, is a chance to put things right.

However he died, it should be something he mentally replays over and over again.


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## Caged Maiden (May 28, 2012)

Kenneth J. Ester said:


> He is murdered by the one person he trusts more than anyone else.
> 
> He dies in a failed attempt to save someone or losing a battle to an enemy.
> 
> ...





HAHA  Very cute.  Yeah I think his death needs to be something really significant to his struggle.  I mean, as much as I loved the idea of a landslide killing him (which I thought was very clever), it wouldn't really add to the story.  You should think of who he is, and then make his death something to build off of.

In one of me novels I kill a MC.  One I'm in love with, BTW.  But his death is extremely important, because it was due to a choice he made in the previous book, and it is the catalyst for his daughter taking up his cause and completing what he didn't.  See, if you're killing him just to kill him, use the landslide.  If you're making him a hero who is trying to make things right, pick a better death, one that's significant, heroic, or perhaps cowardly.  Just know why you are doing it.


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## The Dark One (May 28, 2012)

There are any number of ways of achieving this:

- the main character never takes part in the story (eg; Waiting for Godot, Oyster - Janette Turner Hospital, The Big Chill - sort of)
- the supernatural approach (eg; Ghost, The Lovely Bones, The Sixth Sense, The Third Policeman)
- the retrospective (Lawrence of Arabia)
- the totally original one you're just about to think of...


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## BeigePalladin (May 28, 2012)

If the character's being resurected, then do we need to see his death? unless the reason he died is directly linked to the overarking plot, then I'd recomend starting off at his ressurection and working from there, as it seems like the way he dies dosen't have much to do with anything really.

also helps ou avoid making decisions if there's more than one you like. Could also become differnet folk he meets and knew hearing he died differently

and this way lets people make up their own intrpretations too


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## Helen (May 28, 2012)

Burst said:


> How to kill off your main character?



He takes a nuclear weapon through a wormhole in order to save the Earth and gets zapped by seven-headed aliens. Dang.


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## The Dark One (May 29, 2012)

He has numerous lives like a cat (cf the riverworld series)?


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