playing god isn't as fun as it should be, sometimes

[adelaidesean]

I'm in a bit of a funk because yesterday I killed off a secondary character, one I'd become quite attached to during the writing of The Scarecrow. I want to be kinder to him, but there's no possibility of un-killing him. His death is critical to the story; without it, both the character development and plot unravel. Although I knew it was coming before I started the book, still it makes me sad. Sometimes bravery isn't enough; sometimes good people die.

That's a good sign, right? If I'm feeling so upset about it, readers might be too?

Funny how after 29 books this is still an open question.

Comments

[catsparx.livejournal.com]

that is indeed an excellent sign.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Cat. I hope so.

(You'd think, after all the megazillions of people I offed in Astropolis, that I'd stop being such a wimp about it...)

[catsparx.livejournal.com]

its harder to kill one than one hundred. So I'm told.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

So I'm told.

You haven't learned this from personal experience? With a userpic like that? I'm disappointed in you!

[catsparx.livejournal.com]

What can I say -- I'm a one kill at a time kinda gal!

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

I love that userpic, by the way. Don't ever lose it!

[catsparx.livejournal.com]

I love it too. It's *very* me I think.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

It is. It sends a clear message to those who do love you regardless of what's at stake should we ever carelessly run out of Sav Blanc.

[catsparx.livejournal.com]

precisely.

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

Hey, you can still have a character go through hell, make an agonising decision and remove all consequences right at the end.

It works for Speilberg!

No wait, it really doesn't. Kill him. And kill Speilberg.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Haha! Best advice I've ever heard. Thanks, dude.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Back away from my favourite director with your hands where I can see them.

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

When he can make a film that, for instance, doesn't have a parent making an agionising choice between which child to hold onto or resuce, then have said child run over a hill into a giant fireball and then NOT have the child turn up at the very end of the film completely unscratched, I'll back away.

You should know his life hinges on the success of Indiana Jones.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

War of the Worlds.

Worst. Film. Ever.

Well, that's a slight exaggeration, maybe--but it is such a betrayal of the source material that it makes my eyes bleed just to think of it.

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't mind it, source material aside. Just that ending pisses me off.

That and the fact it has Tom Cruise, in fact I'm annoyed that many of my favourite films have that midget psycho nut alien worshipping whacko in them.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Oh *that*. Yeah that bit sucked and made no sense, and cheapened the entire affair, but to be honest I quite liked the rest of the film. Not a classic, but enjoyable.

When I rave to people about Spielberg, I'm raving about Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders, E.T., Empire of the Sun, Last Crusade, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report and Munich.

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely. I loved Minority Report, very very underrated.

Mind you, I bought an Indiana Jones action figure the other day. I was pleasantly surprised to find he came with his gun and whip, as opposed to a walkie talkie and a length of skipping rope.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Amistad is very favourite. It's nobody else's, but I am just blown away every time I watch it.

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

I loved that one!

I only saw it about 2 months ago at a work film night (Sony is on the 3rd floor and we borrow their really uber duper home theatre setup every few weeks)

It's such powerful storytelling, and very little need for exspository dialogue, which coming from a music video background, I'm a huge fan of.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Djimon Hounsou deserved an Oscar for that performance as Cinque/Sengbe. And for one it has an ending by Spielberg that doesn't flinch.

Plus that dialogue-less bit in the middle where it shows you the entire journey from Africa to America makes me bawl every time. It's just so horrible.

[shadowsandice.livejournal.com]

Heh. Poor writer.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Indeed. That should be the least of the world's problems.

I feel like such a noob even mentioning it. :-)

[shadowsandice.livejournal.com]

It's one of the occupational hazards of the job, I'm afraid.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

And clearly it never goes away.

Mind you, I'm glad. If I offed characters without any kind of remorse, that would really be sad.

[shadowsandice.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

'cause that's what video games are for. ; )

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Ha! True.

Can't wait to get my hands on The Force Unleashed. I'll be gunning for the Dark Side ending ever time.

[shadowsandice.livejournal.com]

Oooh, you have to be careful with the Dark Side. It's really bad for your skin.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

If it was a comic book you'd at least have the comfort of knowing that the character wouldn't stay dead for long.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Ditto Buffy, Angel, Lost, BSG, etc...and even this series of books. I'm sure I could find a way around it if I really tried.

But he needs to stay dead. This time. Honest. Dammit.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

On the last page, a mysterious hand could reach down and take his ring.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Aaargh!

I still can't believe Doctor Who stooped that far.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

What would've been brilliant is if the hand reached down, grabbed the ring, and then the Doctor's hand rushed into view and slapped it, and you'd pull out to reveal the Doctor going "Who the hell are? What are you doing? *I'll* take that!!"

And so on.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

That would've been unutterably brilliant. You really should be running the Beeb, I swear.

Just watched The Doctor's Daughter. Seen it yet?

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Nope. Prob tomorrow night.

I *should* be running the BBC. Or better yet, running the ABC, since I'm sick to death of them rejecting every project I'm involved with on one hand, and constantly telling me "it's your ABC" with the other.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Aunty is a script-tease, but we love her anyway.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

*hands you virtual tissues*


You are such a sweet guy.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

*blushes*

*blows nose*

Thank you.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Amanda is a lucky woman.

[millisynth.livejournal.com]

>That's a good sign, right? If I'm feeling so upset about it, readers might be too?


This brings back memories of the talk I went to with Raymond E Feist.
An audience member asked "Why on Earth did you kill (insert now deceased character's name here) ??!!"

Raymond looked at the audience member with a blank face and simply said, "Mehh... Because *I* could."

Brilliant. :)

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Absolutely brilliant!