Boo! My character is now a ghost and I need...

[Deleted member 5759]

Okay, here is one for you folks.

I have a female character who in life was an aristocrat, quite mean, and never satisfied. She died young, and violently.

Now, her ghost has been summoned/evoked/invoked (what is the correct term here?) by an old acquaintance to help him carry out a rather troubled ambition (one she shared to some extent with him when she was alive).

At any rate, my real question here is: how do you think a writer should write a character once they are a ghost? I'm thinking there needs to be some stark differences in her thought process, speech, etc. to illustrate the metaphysical differences between a living girl and a dead one.

Any tips are most welcome!

 

[CupofJoe]

It depends on how you view your ghosts.
It might be they are bewildered by no longer being alive. or stunned by the crazy cool things they can now do, terrified by an eternity of just existing or thrilled by the chance of revenge...
I would probably try to highlight the differences between being a ghost and being alive. Is it as simple as not being able to touch things? Or as complicated a complete change in morality [I'm guessing killing is either a really BIG deal or complete inconsequential to a Ghost]...
And I go with summoned or called if her would-be partner in crime was trying to contact her and not just any old/young ghost.

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

In the fourth book of my new series, the main character from the third book, who died at the end of that book, is a ghost throughout book 4 and it mostly examines how the other main characters react to her death, including her romantic partner.