Have you ever killed off your main character before in your story? What were your reasons for doing so?

What reasons do you personally think an MC should be killed off for?

Sometimes when you see an MC killed off in a book, you hear comments from different people saying 'they didn't have regard for their readers', or 'it seemed to be done without much thought'.

In your opinion, if someone kills off their main character at the end of a book, can there be wrong reasons for doing so?

I have killed one... or at least seen her die. When I realized that it would happen, inevitably, I almost cried.

There can be wrong reasons to kill off a main character. I think a lot of people do it as a cop out. A reader can see that.

And you have to realize that when a lot of people complain about a character dying, it could mean (though it does not always mean) that they were connected to the character enough to care.

I haven't killed off a main main character, but there was one who featured as a POV character in flashbacks who died. I had to do it because his mother was alone in present day. If a character dying is pointless, or just to create drama, I don't think it should be done, but if there is a good reason, I would say it is fine. I hate sad endings, but at the same time love them.

I do have an idea for a story where the main character is martyred, but I don't know if I can pull it off. I do agree that people complaining about a character's death could mean they cared about them. In Once Upon a Time, I was sad when Neal died, since he was my favorite character, but I got over it because they had a reason (bringing back Rumplestiltskin).

I very rarely achieve success in killing of MCs. I have never killed a viewpoint character, simply because it's messy. Almost all the time. (I won't go as far as saying ALL the time, but yeah, most.)

I once read a series of books where the MC--the POV character for the entire first book--died at the end of the book. I started the second book with the vague hope that (even though I'd seen his body) he might somehow make a come-back. It didn't happen. I was flabbergasted. Turns out, for the story, it worked. But I still felt cheated.

Killing off characters (to further the story) who are major but not central can be a very good thing. But killing off your POV often leaves the reader feeling cheated--as I felt. I can honestly say I've read few books where this worked out to my own satisfaction, or even felt right for the story.

Recently, I finished a series of books where the MC dies at the end of the four-novel story. But it was an act of self-sacrifice and one that (where you didn't see it coming) completely and utterly fulfilled the themes and character of the story itself. I didn't really want it to happen, but it felt right. It was good for the story.

But I think it's a really hard and risky thing to pull off.

I've sort of tried to get my way out of that difficulty in one of my stories by making it clear from the very beginning of the book that the MC is going to die very soon, probably by the end of the story. He has a ticking clock (an illness) that is an essential part of him and his story.

It reminds me a bit of 'The Fault in Our Stars'? (Which I haven't read, but have heard about.)

One book I've read that killed the MC without doing it that way was 'At the Back of the North Wind'. I still felt it was perfectly right for the story and the whole point of it. I've heard some people didn't like it as much though.... For me, it was the very best culmination of what the story had been exploring and revealing that could have happened.

I think I know which series you're talking about.... The Binding of the Blade? I actually liked that one, because I disliked the MC, and it was satisfying to see him die. I didn't like any part of that series much, so I suppose I'm not a valid source on whether it was a good move or not, though.... * grins *

I have and I did so because it fit the story. And I must have done it successfully because I've heard good things about that part of the story. (sorry I'm being a little vague here due to spoiler issues ).

I do think you can kill an MC and do it poorly, but you can make them live and do that poorly as well. As with everything in writing, there has to be a balance.

Agreeing with both of you, gals.

Killing off an MC doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be wonderful (Or possibly just satisfying if you don't like Joriem, ay Rwebhu? )

My point is only that it is very tricky and has to be right for the story. And that is a very hard thing to do--and even harder to do with the satisfaction of the reader. *nodnod*

And also that it probably shouldn't be done all that often because...seriously, who's going to read a bunch of books where the person who's supposed to do everything, the person you're supposed to care the most deeply about, dies? XD

Definitely.