#bookcrushweek is a writing prompt and journaling challenge hosted on Instagram by @alliearnestwrites @camgillings @cam_meze and @authorbeccaday

June 12:  Kill Another’s Darling: Which character would you kill in a story? Why?

I always wish that the main characters would hurry up and kill the annoying character who is always setting the main character up for failure, or trying to frame the MC. 

In the translated novels that I’ve recently been reading, these characters are often known as the “white lotus” characters.  They can look beautiful, innocent, and pure on the surface, but their roots are stuck deep in the mud. 

These characters blatantly set up another character to be harmed in a variety of ways and then pretend to care or be sympathetic to the character when they are harmed are very annoying.  I find myself wishing for the main character to expose them for who they are and destroy their hopes and dreams.

However, that being said, I know these characters serve a purpose: they are the main character’s foil as well as convenient plot tools.  So I am not sure that I would actually choose to kill them off until the plot line becomes too repetitive.  If the white lotus character lives past their usefulness and begins to bog down the plot in endless circles, maybe then I would kill him or her off.

Generally, if a writer has been able to create a character that you hate and want to kill, it is usually on purpose, and the fact that you want to kill them means the writer has achieved one of his or her goals.

Do you have a specific character you would like to kill off?

Book Crush Week Day 6 Coming on 6/13/2020 at 10 AM EST