I am trying to portray one of my main characters as death. No not the grim reaper type, but similar in a way. What he is ties into the history of the world. The problem i am having is how to write the character in a way that allows the reader so see how what he is drives him to insanity. I have thought about having the little voice in his head telling him what to do or questioning his actions but i would really prefer to avoid that. How do you write a character that has done things so terrible that it's driving him mad? How does one describe the emotions and feeling of such a character. This is especially difficult, i am finding, when he interacts with other characters, especially in dialog. At the same time i want these horrible actions to be something that he cannot control until he learns to accept who and what he is, and forgives himself for what he has done. I thought about having a single word that he repeats over and over. I think this simplifies it too much though, without delving deeper into the character. Another problem i am having is how to motivate the character to certain events that i want to happen later on. He is cold and uncaring shutting himself off from the rest of the world. I mean what would motivate some one who hates himself and feels a curse upon the world? I want people to hate him, but then i want people to understand and forgive him at the same time. Any thoughts?
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Need some serious help.
- Thread starter ascanius
- Start date
Map the Dragon
Sage
I'm a little at a loss here, but maybe do some homework into the character of death:
* No...not Family Guy.
* How about Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black (film)
* Or maybe death in The Book Theif (lit)
* I'm sure there are others
Death as a character can be an interesting concept if handled with a certain attention to cliche vs originality, honesty, and perspective.
Good Luck
* No...not Family Guy.
* How about Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black (film)
* Or maybe death in The Book Theif (lit)
* I'm sure there are others
Death as a character can be an interesting concept if handled with a certain attention to cliche vs originality, honesty, and perspective.
Good Luck
TWErvin2
Auror
Death (the god of death) was portrayed in the Zelazny Classic SF novel Lord of Light. However, he did not suffer mental issues, but it might provide additional prespective.
You might do some reading on insanity and also some books that portray insanity in characters to give you ideas.
A thought is that often through indirect characterization, what other characters say and observe about a certain character also can play into the reader learning about that character and developments.
You might do some reading on insanity and also some books that portray insanity in characters to give you ideas.
A thought is that often through indirect characterization, what other characters say and observe about a certain character also can play into the reader learning about that character and developments.
Ravana
Istar
It isn't the "death" part that's the problem here (and for that, possibly the best example is Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse, the first–fortunately–of his "Incarnations of Immortality" series, where the incarnations are offices that pass periodically from one human to another, so you do get to see how someone freshly confronted with this might react).
The problem here is the insanity.
About which I would say that unless you're going to do a lot more than "some reading," don't use this as a PoV character. It's extremely difficult for someone to pull it off who has not had meaningful amounts of personal contact with the mentally ill. (I'm tempted to say all but impossible, though I always hate saying anything like that.) You're right: the tendency will be to oversimplify, as well as to equate insanity with "acting crazy." Which is frighteningly far from the truth.
The problem here is the insanity.
About which I would say that unless you're going to do a lot more than "some reading," don't use this as a PoV character. It's extremely difficult for someone to pull it off who has not had meaningful amounts of personal contact with the mentally ill. (I'm tempted to say all but impossible, though I always hate saying anything like that.) You're right: the tendency will be to oversimplify, as well as to equate insanity with "acting crazy." Which is frighteningly far from the truth.
atkogirl85
Dreamer
I think you should watch this show Dead Like Me http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348913/?mode=desktop
It is about a group of 'deaths' who are stuck in limbo as grim reapers after violent deaths... There was only two seasons made and by the end they all were a insane.
The main character though is much like you describe you want your character to be. Shes cold, distant, self loathing and sucks at social skills but manages to show that she has some heart at time, even if it's quite subtle.
Don't know if that helps but good luck any way
It is about a group of 'deaths' who are stuck in limbo as grim reapers after violent deaths... There was only two seasons made and by the end they all were a insane.
The main character though is much like you describe you want your character to be. Shes cold, distant, self loathing and sucks at social skills but manages to show that she has some heart at time, even if it's quite subtle.
Don't know if that helps but good luck any way
Dante Sawyer
Troubadour
Two things.
Firstly, you may wish to consider picking up Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda N Endelstein. If you're going for this death charcter to have some psychological issues, this book may be able to help with how someone like that might act.
Secondly, watch slasher films! Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer are probably better examples as the killer, although insane, is driven by something. If you would rather have the character just be born crazy, I would say go pick up a copy of the Halloween remake. That is insane.
Firstly, you may wish to consider picking up Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda N Endelstein. If you're going for this death charcter to have some psychological issues, this book may be able to help with how someone like that might act.
Secondly, watch slasher films! Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer are probably better examples as the killer, although insane, is driven by something. If you would rather have the character just be born crazy, I would say go pick up a copy of the Halloween remake. That is insane.
CicadaGrrl
Troubadour
I disagree. In Halloween the remake, Zombie focused a lot of time on Michael's childhood in an attempt to make him seem like a mentally disturbed person. And he's not. He's evil. He's just plain evil Evil Evil! How many times did Donald Pleasance (Dr. Loomis) say that? The remake sucks. Watch the originals. Slashers began there.
That said. Yeah. Be careful of mental illness if you haven't been there or don't have a good inside source. People generally end up with PTSD from traumatic past events.
That said. Yeah. Be careful of mental illness if you haven't been there or don't have a good inside source. People generally end up with PTSD from traumatic past events.
pskelding
Troubadour
You should read Steve Alten's Grim Reaper. It's close to what you are talking about and has a really good ending. I don't want to say anything and spoil it.
Dante Sawyer
Troubadour
I think, in novels at least, it's important to give back story on why someone is evil. That's why I thought the remake was a good idea to watch. Also, you have to admit, when Mike is killing everyone as a child, that's pretty creepy stuff. A kid in a clown mask slaughtering his family? Yeah, sounds like a solid slasher to me.
Shadoe
Sage
Without knowing a whole lot about what you're trying to do, it seems that you have a character that gets crazier as time goes by. You want to portray to the reader that he's going nuts but you don't want to have him be so nuts that the reader can't figure out what's going on.
You might try having him obsess over certain details. Perhaps similarities a current death has with a particularly horrible one in the past. Perhaps some of the things he obsesses over could be something that would lead to his self-forgiveness, when looked at from a different point of view.
Hmmm... Hard to describe what I'm thinking of here....
You might try having him obsess over certain details. Perhaps similarities a current death has with a particularly horrible one in the past. Perhaps some of the things he obsesses over could be something that would lead to his self-forgiveness, when looked at from a different point of view.
Hmmm... Hard to describe what I'm thinking of here....
myrddin173
Maester
A really good book to read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Its the story of a young girl in Nazi Germany, and is narrated by Death. (Looking back I see Map has already recommended it. Curse you Map!!! ) I'll also second Ravana's suggestion for On a Pale Horse, it's and awesome book/series. For the insanity I would recommend The Well of Ascension (the second of the Mistborn books) by Brandon Sanderson. The character Zane fits into the role quite nicely I think.
) I'll also second Ravana's suggestion for On a Pale Horse, it's and awesome book/series. For the insanity I would recommend The Well of Ascension (the second of the Mistborn books) by Brandon Sanderson. The character Zane fits into the role quite nicely I think.
Well that is a tough one, indeed....
Picking such a tough character will be a challenge for you throughout your writing, I'm sure of that. But since you have decided to choose it I'll throw out my opinions.
If you're truly serious about this character (and I'm not saying you aren't), you have to try and put yourself into his/her/its shoes. If you were/are death, you would have experienced so many things - some horrific, others more commonplace - but over time he would certainly become used to it all, or at least that makes sense to me.
I do not know all of the little details, however, the insanity part does seem quite plausible considering death's existence like I said above with all of the times he's had to go through. For the word that he repeats, I would go with "why?"
His personality would have to be as if he were faded in the sense that he's not actually there... more of a shell of a being from all of his hardships. Something is going to have to bring that about, and that's probably going to be your biggest problem. Now you're going to ask yourself some things about your character:
How did he become Death? - Was he assigned by the Gods? Was he a God that was duped into his role (Like Hades in Greek Mythology)?
What was his first truly horrific experience as death?
What was his own fears/downfalls?
What does he truly desire?
What was he like at the beginning of it all? At the end? At the present time of the story?
All of these questions and whatever else you or others can think of will help you understand and conquer your character.
Hope this helped!
Picking such a tough character will be a challenge for you throughout your writing, I'm sure of that. But since you have decided to choose it I'll throw out my opinions.
If you're truly serious about this character (and I'm not saying you aren't), you have to try and put yourself into his/her/its shoes. If you were/are death, you would have experienced so many things - some horrific, others more commonplace - but over time he would certainly become used to it all, or at least that makes sense to me.
I do not know all of the little details, however, the insanity part does seem quite plausible considering death's existence like I said above with all of the times he's had to go through. For the word that he repeats, I would go with "why?"
His personality would have to be as if he were faded in the sense that he's not actually there... more of a shell of a being from all of his hardships. Something is going to have to bring that about, and that's probably going to be your biggest problem. Now you're going to ask yourself some things about your character:
How did he become Death? - Was he assigned by the Gods? Was he a God that was duped into his role (Like Hades in Greek Mythology)?
What was his first truly horrific experience as death?
What was his own fears/downfalls?
What does he truly desire?
What was he like at the beginning of it all? At the end? At the present time of the story?
All of these questions and whatever else you or others can think of will help you understand and conquer your character.
Hope this helped!
- Thread starter
- #14
Thank you Cody Amprim, and Ravana in particular and everyone else, you have all given me a good place to start. Along with questions to ask about my character. Though i will admit it is a little disheartening to hear that this will be a difficult character to write,hes already a pain in the ars. And yes this character is one of my main POV characters. I am also discovering that writing this character with the other main POV character is becoming very troublesome. I have recently discovered i may have written myself into a quandary. My second main POV character is the love interest and she never speaks for reasons her own, but that is another problem. Ill give a little back story if it helps. The character discovers he is death quite by accident, nothing monumental or important, but where the story starts he is already well along into being death. So far i have only ever so cautiously allowed small hints of the insanity. In the beginning he is trying to flee from what he is, but cannot. To me it sounds stupid and don't know how well i like it, but what i have been leaning to is his belief that if everyone is dead then he will be free. So he kills without restraint and is left with the faces of all those he killed to haunt him, which only makes his desperation worse. Right now the he has a very shaky control, if any over what he does. Which only drives the insanity more. I realize i may have bitten off more than i can chew by having him be his own antagonist, along with an external one to boot.
Thank you again for the feed back and books to read i will definitely check them out.
Thank you again for the feed back and books to read i will definitely check them out.
Xanados
Maester
This is an interesting thread. I can only echo what the others have said, I'm afraid. I just popped into this to say that an 'I' should always be capitalized, Ascanius.
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