Dear Jim,

Hi there, so I was hoping you could give me some advice. My book has done pretty well after being published. However, some of my audience wasn’t happy with the sequel. I actually killed off a main character that everyone liked and now I’m trying to find a way to bring them back. I kind of regret killing them because it really was a good character. The problem is that my novel is mostly about spies and mystery. There aren’t really any fantasy elements in the book. So I’m not sure about putting in some weird object that they discover during one of their cases that allows the group to bring him back. What do you think, do you have any other recommendations?

Thanks,

Mick

Hi Mick,

Yes, leave the character alone! Leave them dead! I’m not kidding. I understand having a connection with a character, but once they’re gone, they’re gone unless you want to do a lot of flashbacks or a prequel. Trust me, as much as killing the character off, bringing them back and taking all the wind and permanancy out of death will do far more damage in the long run. The death of a main character should be profound, not watered down. If you open the door to resurrecting characters, all the fear that one could die will be gone, because what’s stopping you from bringing them back?

Okay… now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… I pride myself on always trying to help everyone who asks. I would absolutely NOT use a fantasy element in a book where no such magic or devices exist. That would break the immersion, which is a cardinal sin in literature. You have other options. For starters, since we’re talking about a spy/mystery novel, why not a fake out death, like the character feigned death, but was wearing a bullet-proof vest or something? That would be the best way to do this, though I strongly recommend you don’t.

If you really miss that character so much, write another one that is similar. Perhaps write his brother, sister, or even an older son. Sky is the limit. Trust me, it’s a far cry better than either breaking immersion or taking all the wind out of death.

In any case, I hope this helps somewhat. Avoid using a fantasy element in a non-fantasy piece of fiction at all costs.

Thanks friend! Hope you do well!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim