K- K is For Kill-Off

     Ah, the kill-off. Nothing can anger more readers or make them read on like the kill-off. A time honored technique, it can be used to great effect in the right hands and disastrous effect in unskilled hands.

     If it's a major character you're killing off, this can serve as motivation for the main character--Obi-Wan killed by Vader, Luke really has to man up now--or the ending to an installment to saw 'screw you' to Fox give it a bittersweet factor--Hoban Washburne dying in Serenity. Minor/smaller characters dying off can either be very much played up--think something along the lines of Rue's death in the Hunger Game--or a catalyst at the beginning of your book/script--Batman Begins would be a good exampe.

     However, make no mistake that just because your character that you kill off is minor, that they can just be a background character. If the kill-off is to be more than an extra dying in a fight scene--like if our heroes storm the throne room and kill some random guards--there must be an emotional connection if you expect to cause it to affect your readers. Otherwise, the person is officially a Red Shirt. Just sayin'.

     All that being said, use the kill-off sparingly. Don't be like 24.