Of the torture of innocents and the bumping off of characters - Page 2

Elenka · 04-25-2003, 08:56 PM

I'm way into death. Ask anyone at school. "Yep," they'll say, "violent and murderous. Absolutely. Totally worships death, ya know?"

I have a great time killing off my characters. Talk to the girl I walk to school with. When I'm ticked, I'll recount to her what I"m going to do to the person ticking me off. "...and then, I'm going to lop off their hand and make them eat it..." That's the pg-13 version. I don't know how much gore can be fit under that rating, so I won't take chances.

I like writing graphic descriptions of pain and suffering, but I don't usually put a lot of it in my stories...It gives my twisted nightmares. In order to prevent those dreams, I leave it at tossing the heroine off the five hundred-foot rock and describing the remains.

Agalayth · 04-25-2003, 11:22 PM

In my stories, there are a few deaths, though none of the main characters die. For example, in the first book in a trilogy that I'm working on now (not writing, working on) a huge village is burned to the ground by the Dark Elves. After the fire dies down, one of the main characters finds his wife's ring on the ground, and that starts a whole inner battle in him, and that is what completely motivates him throughout the story.

Lief Erikson · 04-26-2003, 06:58 PM

And in the end, we find out that the wife actually didn't die in the fire, correct?

LuthienTinuviel · 04-27-2003, 01:55 AM

Quote:

I prefer to torture /other/ people's characters, myself. ]: )

i'll say

im killing off my best friend in the movie im shooting this summer.
so far we have a skeleton plot, with a few lose details, but this one is sure to make it, cause it's a turning point that ultimately brings the destrction of the main character, (who i still haven't named.)

Laurelyn · 04-27-2003, 12:35 PM

I don't actually kill characters unless it is for the sake of furthering my plot. The ones I killed in my stories weren't main characters; but the story never would have happened had they not died.
I do so like killing them, though.
I've never written a torture scene; maybe I will some day, but maybe not. My torture is normally psychological.
That's what I meant. Only I get some sort of perverse pleasure out of destroying their little lives . . .

Bwahahaha!

Elenka · 04-27-2003, 05:50 PM

I don't kill to further my plot, since my plots are usually only semi-existent. I kill for fun. Especially mental pain. 'Tis very funny.

Amaranthea · 04-29-2003, 05:19 PM

Yes, I am guilty of torturing/killing off characters in my stories. <sigh> Mostly, I'm guilty of the angsty torture, though. Not really anything physical, unless it's necessary to have the physical there to really reinforce the emotional damage done, that is, to make the emotional damage even more extreme, for example, I have written a story that includes an element of homosexual rape. The actual physical act was torturous for the protagonist, yes, because the rapist was also a sadist, but the real damage that was done was the emotional fall-out afterwards.

I'm also really big into writing stories that revolve around sacrifice. That, to me, is what makes characters much more interesting than just "Hey, my name is Bob, and I like cheese." I totally prescribe to the theory that "Love is Sacrifice." That is, that if you creature/person/whatever that loves, that means that you would be willing to sacrifice for that love. And THAT is where the majority of the torture comes in during my stories; someone sacrificing themselves for someone they love and thus having to 1) go through the actual physical torture AND 2) go through the emotional torture of not being able to know if their sacrifice was sufficient for their loved one.

Lief Erikson · 04-29-2003, 07:28 PM

I believe I am rather weak when it comes to killing off characters.

At one point I had an excellent opportunity to do one in. I was about 260 pages into the story, and it was possible. I mean, she was expendable. There wasn't any plotline necessity to keep her alive; the needs for her were over. I wrote up the scene in which this character was killed, and then after a lot of thought and struggling, I edited it out again. And I've kept her.

I'm just soft on my own people, I suppose

.

Though not too soft, on second thought. I've really tortured one of my characters rather severely, and I did kill two semi-main ones.

Laurelyn · 04-30-2003, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lief Erikson
. . . I was about 260 pages into the story. . .

*sobs* I hate you . . . *sniffles*
Okay, so I don't, but I'm jealous because you reached 260 pages. I'm struggling for a hundred (and right now I'm only on chapter two, so that's a ways away) and maybe plus some.

Actually, can I ask you guys for advice? I'm stuck as to whether or not I should leave one or two main characters alive. See, one of them owns the world and sold the world to a terrorist group to get the other one back (yes, character 1 has, er, issues). Now here's my dilemma: I have to get them into a civil war. I can blow up CHaracter 1 and 2 and leave Character three in charge, or I can leave them all alive. Character three's gonna be in charge no matter what. I think I want to kill them, but I don't quite know . . . suggestions?

Gwaimir Windgem · 04-30-2003, 09:00 AM

I wouldn't kill them, but then again, that's me.

congressmn · 04-30-2003, 01:56 PM

o come on you guys, my charachters have to die. and they seldom die in their sleep.

Amaranthea · 05-01-2003, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Actually, can I ask you guys for advice? I'm stuck as to whether or not I should leave one or two main characters alive. See, one of them owns the world and sold the world to a terrorist group to get the other one back (yes, character 1 has, er, issues). Now here's my dilemma: I have to get them into a civil war. I can blow up CHaracter 1 and 2 and leave Character three in charge, or I can leave them all alive. Character three's gonna be in charge no matter what. I think I want to kill them, but I don't quite know . . . suggestions?

Well, if you killed off both the other characters that are stuggeling against Character #3 (whom I'm assuming is your protagonist), how could there be a war? #3 would be the only one left....hence no fighting, hence no civil war! Better keep them alive.....and kill them later.

Lief Erikson · 05-01-2003, 09:04 PM

I'm a little confused about the situation you described, Laurelyn.

So character 1 sold a world to a terrorist group- who are characters 2 and 3? And why would a civil war be created by character 1's dying? Since character 1 isn't even connected to that world anymore.

I think I just need a little more depth and understanding of the situation before I can comment.

Also, if you're at chapter 2, how can these characters be very main so far? And if they're not main, what's the worry over whether to kill them or not? Go for it

.

04-25-2003, 08:56 PM	#21
Elenka The Negative Soul of Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Middle Distance Posts: 651	I'm way into death. Ask anyone at school. "Yep," they'll say, "violent and murderous. Absolutely. Totally worships death, ya know?" I have a great time killing off my characters. Talk to the girl I walk to school with. When I'm ticked, I'll recount to her what I"m going to do to the person ticking me off. "...and then, I'm going to lop off their hand and make them eat it..." That's the pg-13 version. I don't know how much gore can be fit under that rating, so I won't take chances. I like writing graphic descriptions of pain and suffering, but I don't usually put a lot of it in my stories...It gives my twisted nightmares. In order to prevent those dreams, I leave it at tossing the heroine off the five hundred-foot rock and describing the remains. __________________ W00T for the M00T!! War doesn't determine who is right - war determines who is left.

04-25-2003, 11:22 PM	#22
Agalayth Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 215	In my stories, there are a few deaths, though none of the main characters die. For example, in the first book in a trilogy that I'm working on now (not writing, working on) a huge village is burned to the ground by the Dark Elves. After the fire dies down, one of the main characters finds his wife's ring on the ground, and that starts a whole inner battle in him, and that is what completely motivates him throughout the story. __________________ Chickens at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Chickens in motion tend to cross the road.

04-27-2003, 12:35 PM	#25
Laurelyn Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Valinor, right next to Telperion . . . what did you expect, Michigan? Posts: 1,315	I don't actually kill characters unless it is for the sake of furthering my plot. The ones I killed in my stories weren't main characters; but the story never would have happened had they not died. I do so like killing them, though. I've never written a torture scene; maybe I will some day, but maybe not. My torture is normally psychological. That's what I meant. Only I get some sort of perverse pleasure out of destroying their little lives . . . Bwahahaha! __________________ The Third Age of Entmoot has begun. Angel of music, guide and guardian! Grant to me your glory! The country I eat and spend the day in is by no means the country I sleep and dream in. Define patriotism. Hold the boat, you spastic monkey! ~ Elenka

04-27-2003, 05:50 PM	#26
Elenka The Negative Soul of Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Middle Distance Posts: 651	I don't kill to further my plot, since my plots are usually only semi-existent. I kill for fun. Especially mental pain. 'Tis very funny. __________________ W00T for the M00T!! War doesn't determine who is right - war determines who is left.

04-30-2003, 09:00 AM	#30
Gwaimir Windgem Dread Mothy Lord and Halfwitted Apprentice Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, CA Posts: 10,820	I wouldn't kill them, but then again, that's me. __________________ Crux fidelis, inter omnes arbor una nobilis. Nulla talem silva profert, fronde, flore, germine. Dulce lignum, dulce clavo, dulce pondus sustinens. 'With a melon?' - Eric Idle

04-26-2003, 06:58 PM	#23
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	And in the end, we find out that the wife actually didn't die in the fire, correct?

04-29-2003, 05:19 PM	#27
Amaranthea Enting Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pennsylvania. Ugh. Posts: 67	Yes, I am guilty of torturing/killing off characters in my stories. <sigh> Mostly, I'm guilty of the angsty torture, though. Not really anything physical, unless it's necessary to have the physical there to really reinforce the emotional damage done, that is, to make the emotional damage even more extreme, for example, I have written a story that includes an element of homosexual rape. The actual physical act was torturous for the protagonist, yes, because the rapist was also a sadist, but the real damage that was done was the emotional fall-out afterwards. I'm also really big into writing stories that revolve around sacrifice. That, to me, is what makes characters much more interesting than just "Hey, my name is Bob, and I like cheese." I totally prescribe to the theory that "Love is Sacrifice." That is, that if you creature/person/whatever that loves, that means that you would be willing to sacrifice for that love. And THAT is where the majority of the torture comes in during my stories; someone sacrificing themselves for someone they love and thus having to 1) go through the actual physical torture AND 2) go through the emotional torture of not being able to know if their sacrifice was sufficient for their loved one.

04-29-2003, 07:28 PM	#28
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	I believe I am rather weak when it comes to killing off characters. At one point I had an excellent opportunity to do one in. I was about 260 pages into the story, and it was possible. I mean, she was expendable. There wasn't any plotline necessity to keep her alive; the needs for her were over. I wrote up the scene in which this character was killed, and then after a lot of thought and struggling, I edited it out again. And I've kept her. I'm just soft on my own people, I suppose . Though not too soft, on second thought. I've really tortured one of my characters rather severely, and I did kill two semi-main ones.

04-30-2003, 01:56 PM	#31
congressmn Incharge: neighbourhood security Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: on my 499th post Posts: 481	o come on you guys, my charachters have to die. and they seldom die in their sleep. __________________ i am nothing. i am a cold stone, which deceives with the light it reflects, giving illusions of warmth.

05-01-2003, 09:04 PM	#33
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	I'm a little confused about the situation you described, Laurelyn. So character 1 sold a world to a terrorist group- who are characters 2 and 3? And why would a civil war be created by character 1's dying? Since character 1 isn't even connected to that world anymore. I think I just need a little more depth and understanding of the situation before I can comment. Also, if you're at chapter 2, how can these characters be very main so far? And if they're not main, what's the worry over whether to kill them or not? Go for it .