Killing your darlings

Killing your darlings

March 9, 2026

1–2 minutes

As an X post recently put it: it’s certain to add some spice if you’re writing an autobiography. In which case there is something to be said for publishing posthumously…

That said, it’s a grim necessity sometimes, and one I am not very good at. You can probably pick out my red-shirt characters at 500 yards, even if you are color-blind. It is the nature of some stories that some characters are going to die. The best we can give our darlings, sometimes, is a death that at least has some value, even if it merely to provide motive for the other characters to take action. I’m not much on gratuitous death for the sake of a body or gore count. My problem is I have seen a bit of it in real life, and it takes me to places I don’t really want to go back to. But it has its fans – and if that your market, I guess it needs be done.

What I actually wanted to write about was the opposite: where you become so fond of your red-shirt, you save them miraculously. Hey. Guilty as charged. But seriously, it is a mistake. Sometimes: if it’s not an autobiography… those are necessary deaths

4 responses to “Killing your darlings”

Karen Myers

March 9, 2026 at 7:16 am

Well, yes. Redshirts are always tempting. The bigger problem I find is what happens instead, if you don’t kill your heroes (because they are essential to the sometimes series-long plot).

I am notorious for putting my primary characters through a wringer. Yes, at least they survive (mostly – no guarantees), but boy howdy they have to feel their hardships, as well as those of their loved ones. It’s too easy to make that a cheap trick, and I try to avoid that abuse, but I do occasionally hear from my more squeamish readers when a particularly charismatic redshirt bites the dust.

(I do draw some lines, particularly “don’t kill the dog or the baby”). I don’t want my books to be flung at walls.)

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1. jaglionpress
  
  March 9, 2026 at 9:48 am
  
  Don’t kill the dog or the baby is a safe rule.
  
  Reply
jaglionpress

March 9, 2026 at 9:54 am

There was a supporting female character in Dragon’s Teeth whom I considered killing off, but since she had been the male lead’s girlfriend (twenty years before the novel takes place) who dumped him for hypergamous reasons, it felt mean-spirited.

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Pam Uphoff

March 9, 2026 at 11:09 am

Heh. I added a girl friend to a book just to make sure my MC had enough skin in the game. Killed her in the climactic battle. The subconscious/Muse was *very* unhappy and refused to cooperate with the next work, until I went back added a last glimpse of her in the hospital.

Then the words flowed again. I’ve been a bit wary of just adding characters so I have someone to kill ever since.

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