Killing my narrator...bad move?

Question

I've been writing this book, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to kill off my narrator. Is that too much of a turn off? There's no possibility for a sequel so I don't need her. But she's a likeable character...so it's a really depressing ending.

Answer 1

Nah, I actually like tragedies. I like to read some really dramatic stuff, even if it is fiction. I think that people would remember that book more. It would have more of an impact, in my opinion.

Go for it!

<3

Answer 2

Every writer kills their characters by giving birth to them, since it is only a matter of time before they expire of age (given the circumstance that they are human).

What your job is is to decide whether or not the most important shift in your protagonist's life, that is, the shift which is most worthy of their story, and what absolutely needs to be told of this person, is that which leads to their death.  And perhaps also to decide why, though not necessarily.

A death should not be senseless, as no part of a fiction story should be senseless, therefore the sensually and intellectually proficient reader will grasp why the character's death is important and how it serves as the only possible outcome of the protagonist's greatest adventure ever.

If the death is a surprise given the rest of the book or story, perhaps you haven't done your job.  In fact, every possible facet of the story should be one which inevitably adds to whatever it is that kills your narrator.  

It should be as if there were no other path to take.

Answer 3

If you kill off your narrator how will you end the book? Will you have it just stop abruptly or will someone else take over narrating. I'm assuming it's written in first person if your narrator is a character.

Killing off any character is fine as long as it's done correctly. If you're going to kill a character as well known to the reader as the narrator you need to do it well - make sure the reader actually cares that she's dying and don't kill her off just to make the book depressing, it still has to make sense for her to die, there needs to be a really good reason.

Too often I see writers kill off characters either simply because they feel they should kill someone - in which case it feels rushed and pointless, or they kill off characters that aren't well developed enough - in which case the reader doesn't care at all.

Answer 4

It depends how soon you do it. if you do it too soon that could be hard... but i suppose you could switch narrators or something.

Answer 5

depressing endings are so good! do it do it!

Answer 6

Everyone loves a anti-hero

Answer 7

Narrator?? That means in first person...

How can you kill him? How will he narrate.. If you are writing in past tense (which is most likely in First person) how does he even begin narrating the story if he is dead, already....

A dead man cannot speak, so how does your Narrator began the narration..

Hope you got my point.

TW K

Answer 8

Only if you're writing cheese.

I just finished reading a story where the author killed off his narrator and told you he'd kill him off in the title and it was a pretty good tale.

So if Dave Eggers can kill off a dog, why can't you kill her off?

Answer 9

you're the writer and it's your story, do as YOU please - there will always be something that the critics will not like, so just do what feels right to you.  If killing your narrator is a big failure, well, you're a writer and you have the talent for the next one to be a success!

Answer 10

If it suites the story, but you should be cautious when killing a like able character.

I don't write that much and don't have that much experience, but when I read,and I have read a lot of books, if I really like the character I would want them to live.Killing a like able character is necessary I suppose,its better to have the character die instead of having a hanging ending sometimes, but make sure the part where you kill her off is good.

Don't make her die for a bad cause and make sure the scene itself is good.This is what I would like to read, but this is only my opinion of coarse. :D

I hope that helped and didn't confuse you.