How to Promote Horror: 5 Reasons NOT to Kill a Character

As horror writers, we’re used to killing characters. After all, what’s more horrific than being killed? However, the trick with writing horror, and all fiction for that matter, is knowing when NOT to kill a character.

1. It Distracts from Your Narrative

Time-honored advice tells us to “kill our darlings.” While this advice is used typically to highlight those moments when it’s best for the narrative to remove a scene, plot device, or (as is often the case with my own writing) lovingly crafted descriptions (Purple prose? Bah. I’ll show you purple…), it’s also important to realize this fact applies to characters as well.

As such, it’s often best not to go on a killing spree. Well, unless that’s the type of fiction you’re writing. But, even then, it’s best to wait for the right moment.

In fact, as a horror writer, it may be that the act of killing a character is your “darling,” but since the best thing for the narrative is to not kill, you should NOT do it. Resist your writerly bloodlust and focus on the story. Your narrative will thank you, not to mention your characters.

2. Killing Them Serves No Purpose

Similar to distracting from your narrative, you should never kill a character if it doesn’t serve a purpose. Pointless death is just that…pointless.

It’s become a fad in recent years to introduce a main character and then kill them off purely for shock value. Thing is, this technique can often backfire and blow up in your face, killing any chance you have of your readers finishing your book.

When you do kill a character, it needs to be for a significant reason. It can still be shocking, but it also should drive the story, such as to show an antagonist's power or to serve as motivation for revenge.

For instance, George R. R. Martin (shoutout to a fellow New Mexico author!) is famous for brutally killing a number of main characters in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. However, each death progresses the plot, either as villainy or consequence.

3. They’re Not Going to Stay Dead

I mean, as horror writers, we all know necromancy is a thing. Sometimes they come back, and all that jazz. However, if you build a world where your main characters can be raised from the dead, their deaths become meaningless.

In fantasy fiction, writers go to great lengths to create magic systems with very specific rules and consequences, and bringing people back from the dead is a messy business. It can make a magic system seem too powerful and strip your narrative of tension, and without tension, what do you have? Well, it’s not a good story, I can tell you that much.

What’s more, if you suddenly raise a character from the dead without having first set up the possibility, you’re diving deep into the realm of deus ex machina. That is, wrapping up a story through a randomly convenient device.

With this in mind, it’s recommended you only play with such dark, necromantic forces when it’s important to your plot, such as the zombie apocalypse. Although, it can also be used thematically, such as the Christian symbolism of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, or as a selective force that generally does not benefit characters, such as in A Song of Ice and Fire (the books, not the show. Don’t get me started on the show… I… Mm, will stop right there…).

4. They’re An Insignificant Character

Look, I understand we’re largely talking about horror here, but when somehow your main character finds themselves wandering a dark hallway with another character we hardly know, while the killer lurks in the shadows, it’s pretty obvious what you’re setting up. Inevitably, when the killer jumps out and stabs the random character through his eye, allowing your main character to escape to fight another day, it doesn’t mean very much. We all saw it coming from across the stratosphere.

This is often called the ‘Red Shirt’ trope, referring to the insignificant officers in Star Trek that are introduced on away missions only to serve as cannon fodder later on in the episode. While this may serve to show us the threat our main characters are facing, we really don’t give a flying flapjack whether or not the red shirt lives or dies.

When tempted, it’s important to remember that death doesn’t just happen to minor officers or tertiary characters. Use this trope too much and your readers will begin to think your main characters are safe, maybe even immortal. This, just like raising people from the dead, has a decidedly adverse effect on a story’s tension.

Nevertheless, this does not mean you can’t kill minor characters, only that they should not be the only ones who die. Again, think about Martin’s work, no one is safe and his storytelling is brilliant for it.

However, there is one caveat I’d like to mention while we’re here. That is, don’t go overboard either. How many of us stopped watching The Walking Dead after so-and-so was killed? If you wipe out all of your good characters, there’s really no point in continuing the story, is there?

5. The Character is a Minority

Finally, we come to this one. Although this could be considered a controversial subject, let’s dive in anyway…

Diversity in fiction is a hot topic (in fact, it deserves its own post, which could be my next article). After all, a large majority of writers are white and straight. Mostly, this is due to cultural availability, as being an author is one of those paths that is encouraged mostly for middle-class white people (I know it was for me, although my parents were clear it was supposed to be a hobby and not a career). However, there is a dangerous precedent that has been set where the minority character is always killed, often early in the narrative.

It may be the token black character (a trope that’s even become a joke at this point), someone from the LGBTQIA+ community, or even a stereotypical female character, but whoever it is, resist the urge to kill them unless you are absolutely sure it serves the story.

Many authors introduce minority characters in order to give them some sort of background as quickly as possible. Then, they can elicit a larger emotional response when they are killed off. The problem with this is that it adds to an insidious pattern of prejudice, whether sexism, racism, or the Bury Your Gays trope.

My point is, while minority characters should certainly be more prevalent in fiction, as they are, after all, a big part of the real world, they should not be used as a cheap plot device. Take note and be aware of this fact. That is all.

Death is a Part of Life, But…

Remember, you are an indentured servant to your story. Whenever your story (not you!) kills a character, it should leave an emotional impact and move the plot forward. Death is a part of life, but take the time to think about the implications of your murderous ways and be sure to always spill blood with class and purpose.

Keith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of many horror and fantasy titles, including WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY, and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.