Wednesday, December 29, 2010

How "Don't Die" Relates to Characters

As I have finished relating "Don't Die" to writers, I think that it should also be related to characters that writers use.

In stories, it seems that there is a much higher chance for death.  Death is undeniably powerful.  It is the end.  It is dramatic. It can be heroic, pathetic, and anything in between.  But death also limits a character because they can no longer do anything else.

As long as your characters continue to draw breath, they can continue to do things, make decisions, affect the world.  They are more powerful, more effective alive than they could be in death (unless they're really awful characters).

Death is an easy out for our characters.  It's even easier because they're not real.  But that doesn't make it right.  Let your characters live.  Make them live.  And make them survive.  They'll find a way to do it, as long as they don't die.

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