One effect I long for in all my stories is to make the reader care every time anyone dies. I want my reader to feel a twinge of guilt, or at least go, "Aw, man."

Not only that, but I want my readers to feel a moment of disbelief, and then grief, right along with the character when someone near to them dies. (Yeah, I know. Mean.)

Do you understand what I mean? Too often in a book, or a movie, a secondary character is introduced. Someone important and dear to the main character. For example, the character's father. But something about the way the character talks, or acts, lets you know that this character is likely to be killed off. You are not going to care much when he dies. The character is already dead to you. You only care about the MC.

I don't want that! I want my reader to assume that this character has an important role in the story, that he is an interesting, likable, and growable character, with feelings and hopes. I want my reader, in the early stages of setting up the plot, to know that this character is a pillar in the foundation.
And that if this character died, it would leave a gaping, aching hole. Just like it does for the MC.
When the death happens, you don't just go, "Aw, that's sad. I feel sorry for the MC". You feel a moment of shocked disbelief. Then grief. You feel with the MC, because you cared about that character the same way he did. And you will join the MC in patching his life back together. Empathy. Showing, not telling.

But how to achieve this?
One book I've read achieved this very well. It's called Alone Yet Not Alone, by Tracy M. Leininger. I'm not totally sure how she did it, but getting into the character's point of view for a while probably helped. Somehow, the character seemed a solid part of the MC's life. I felt confidence in him. Know what I mean? And when the MC got the news, there was no "Grief exploded inside her" immediately. Indeed, there was no comment on the MC's feelings until several sentences later, allowing me to feel the feelings for her, instead of watching as she felt them.

Can you help me? What makes this effect?

I think I'm starting to get at what does this. This happens when you care about this secondary character---not because the MC does, but because you do. You love the secondary character, and you will feel shocked grief at his death, whether the MC does or not. I guess an author achieves this by making him a 3-D character instead of 2-D. But how?

I don't know. It's a good thing to think about and work towards.

Trying to understand here. Are you wanting to know how to handle a death so that the reader cares, or are you wanting to know how to create a character the reader cares about, or both? (If the second, I'm afraid the answer is just "make a good character." Easy, right?)

Choice number one. I want the reader to feel the same feelings the MC is feeling, instead of just going, "Oh, poor MC."

I hate when characters are so flat you just KNOW they are going to die. I suppose you have to write them with the same (if not more) care as other characters. No one cares if you kill a flat charrie.

~ZA

*sniffle* I remember those two. It was quite a shock when he died.

I accomplish this by not killing the characters you expect to die and picking on the person you never, ever expected... in theory, at least. Hence why so many of my MCs end up dead at the end of a novel.

YES! And this happens way too often with the MC's parents. They are there, say a few loving words, give some good advice, and then die. And we don't care. I want to care!

I don't know how to write adults well at all. When I really think about it, I can't name a book where I cared when the parents died. . . .

~ZA

Well, the book I mentioned in the opening post did it really well. I was surprised at how well the author accomplished it.

And many of us, including myself, are on the threshold of adulthood. I am starting to understand adults better, to know how it feels to be an adult. We are happy to give you some help if you need any.

In short, an adult has the same emotions, fears, and hopes a young person does. They just have many more responsibilities. And the mature adults are much more selfless than I am.

Amen! Personal pet peeve. I harp on this all the time.

Now I wrote something about this somewhere.... I think it was Sci-Fi. Hmmm..... I must go find. *goes off to see if she can find her post or not *

Mwah ha! Told you I'd find it.

Here is what I said in a sci-fi post thread I started:



http://www.holyworlds.org/scifi/viewtop ... f=35&t=924

So, there is my answer to your question, sorta. This is how I look at it in writing my books.

Whoa, your examples were awesome! Thank you so much!
Poor James.

You are so welcome. Yes, poor James. Poor James' wife. The poor unborn child who will grow up without his father!

And that is the whole point. Showing his value.

Yes...show his value.
So how do we make the reader like and care about the MC's parents? And not expect them to die?
(A back-cover synopsis that doesn't give anything away would help. )

The exact same way I did in that example. Give us a reason to like the parents. Give them value in our eyes.

Okay then.
Has anybody else read---or watched---a story where you were really sad when a secondary character died early on?

Yes.

I've also seen/read stories where they psyched me out. For instance, Fireproof did this very effectively. Within the first few minutes I was attached to Michael, Caleb's friend and partner. Ten minutes into the movie there was a scene where the creators very well could have killed Michael's character off. My heart was fluttering, not because of the intensity of the scene, but because I was afraid they were going to kill Michael.

They had managed to attach me to Michael's character to the point where I was concerned they would kill him. That is good writing.