Why you have to kill your darlings, with that one guy from that one movie

Here’s the next post in this series where I discuss TV shows and movies and the knowledge that we can gain from watching them. We can apply that knowledge to our writing. As always, I never pretend to be an expert. I just like exploring my own thoughts on the matter as I write these blog posts! I welcome all comments and would love to hear what you think about this topic.

Make sure you check out my previous post, titled, “How to write a dynamic character arc, with Caroline Forbes.”

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for both The Avengers and the Firefly follow-up movie Serenity.

As writers, we often fall in love with our own characters. It’s not hard to do. After all, you spend so many hours with them, and you know each and every one of their secrets. You know exactly the type of person they are underneath the face they present to the world. That type of raw honesty and understanding is hard to resist.

So, when the time comes to kill one of your characters, it can be one of the hardest decisions you make. Sometimes they feel like your children, or your lovers, or your best friends. And you’re the one that has to drive a stake through their heart.

It’s not easy.

But it’s necessary.

The best example I can think of is in The Avengers when Phil Coulson dies. Up until this point, each of the superheroes was only looking out for themselves. They weren’t trying to work as a team. They didn’t see the bigger picture. They just wanted to prove they were the better man.

And then Phil died.

Phil was just about the one thing they all had in common. He held a place in each of their hearts, no matter how small that place that was. He had a relationship with each one and each of the heroes liked him. It wasn’t like Fury, who was obviously connected to each one as well, but was also the boss and, in some scenes, the antagonist. It was different with Coulson.

So why did Joss Whedon kill off Coulson? Because he had to. It was the spark that ignited the fire underneath the Avengers’ butts. It got them angry. It made them determined. They’d win the war for Coulson, because he died believing in what they were a part of.

Coulson’s death was the catalyst. It’s actually what moved the movie forward and into that final act. Not all deaths are like that, but it’s important to note that even though Coulson was important and loved (especially by fans), he had to die. It had to happen.

Other examples come to mind, like Wash from Serenity. His death didn’t work in quite the same way as Coulson’s did, but it was still important and still noteworthy. Sometimes death occurs because that’s the next logical step. Sometimes it occurs because other characters need to know what it feels like to lose someone they are close to. Characters are only interesting when they change, and sometimes they can only change when something drastic happens.

So, kill your darlings. Take those beloved characters, chew them up, and spit them out. It’s sad and horrible and will leave a bad taste in your mouth, but it’s so important to do it. It’ll effect your reader, and that’s a good thing. The more emotions they feel, the more invested and attached they are to your book.

These are just two tiny, tiny examples in a world of beloved characters that had to bite the bullet. Just in Harry Potter alone I can name ten people off the top of my head who also fall into this category. In fact, the death  of loved ones was the driving force behind all seven books. It’s horrible what Harry went through in his life, but (from a writing standpoint) it was so, so necessary.

And on that note, I’ll also say that if you do kill off a character, stick with it. You can bring some characters back to the dead, surely, but it depends on the circumstances. Most of the time, dead is dead and it’s better that way. You’ll lose the impact of death in your stories if you backtrack too many times. I love a good death (which sounds weird, but is true). I love to cry and be angry and hate the writer(s) for taking a little piece of my soul. But it’s cathartic and sometimes feels that way actually makes you feel better.

What is the most heart wrenching character death you’ve ever experienced in someone else’s work? Have you ever had to kill off a character you loved?

Movie Review: Serenity

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[No spoilers]

So, last week I shared my thoughts on the TV show Firefly. This week, I’m here to talk about Serenity, the follow-up movie that was made in 2005. As I mentioned before, Firefly only made it through the first season before it was taken from the air. Joss Whedon decided to make a movie to tie up loose ends and give loyal fans of the show some closure.

Whereas Firefly was a show about Mal and his crew, Serenity was very much a movie about Simon and River. River was the driving force behind the plot in Firefly in a lot of ways. It was because of her that the crew had to keep running from the Alliance – more than usual, anyway. But in the movie, River is the plot. She begins to act out, sometimes in dangerous ways, and Simon has to find a way to control her before Mal is forced to kick her off the ship. All this goes down while they have an intelligent and deadly assassin right on their heels.

So, how did this movie shape up against the show? Fairly well, actually. I watched it a few days after I saw the season finale of Firefly and I didn’t notice any major discrepancies. It felt exactly the same – just like an extra long episode. There were some things that threw me off a little bit, but I wasn’t sure if that was because I wasn’t paying attention, or because the movie didn’t do a good job of explaining it.

I definitely liked knowing a bit more about River and what it was like to be inside her head. She’s an incredible character with such a rich and complex personality. Summer Glau had a lot of time to shine in this movie, and she definitely delivered. Simon was also a bit more fleshed out, which was nice to see. I especially liked seeing some of the more lighthearted moments that they both brought to the table this time around.

I also liked some of the development with the other characters. Certain relationships came to a close. I’m happy with all of them, even if they all didn’t get a happy ending (and that’s as much as I’m going to say about that).  I’ve come to terms with it, and regardless of my personal feelings, it was good storytelling.

Also? Best tagline ever.

I also want to point out that River is not someone I’d want to mess with. She had some pretty action-packed fight sequences in the movie, and I was so, so happy to see that. Again, Summer Glau was just incredible and there was some beautiful choreography here.

So, what didn’t I like? Well, I didn’t like that it was over. These characters are so realistic and well thought out that you end up investing a lot of time and emotion into them. It’s sad to think that we might never get something new from this world.

It also left a few questions open. One in particular was Book’s backstory. It wasn’t a necessary thing to know, and maybe it was Joss’ way of leaving room open for a sequel of some sort, but I would’ve liked to have known who he really was.

Have you watched Firefly yet? What about Serenity?  What did you think of them? Was there anything in Serenity that didn’t sit well with you?

Please note that the comments section is NOT a spoiler-free zone. Feel free to talk about anything to do with Firefly and Serenity, as I’d really like to have a good discussion with other fans of the show. If you haven’t seen either one yet, proceed into the comments with caution!

5 Reasons You Should Watch Firefly (Even After All This Time)

Joss Whedon’s cult TV show Firefly aired in 2002, and it’s all but dead in the water. You see, it only aired for a single season before it was cut from our TV screens. It had a small but loyal audience, which continues to grow thanks to Netflix and word of mouth. Joss even did a follow-up movie called Serenity, to tie up loose ends.

So, it got its 15 minutes of fame and it blew it – why should you care?

Well, the thing is…it didn’t blow it. The TV execs did. It’s a great show, and one that I’d recommend to anyone – sci-fi nerd or not. The ratings obviously weren’t high enough to keep it on air, but I think that must’ve had more to do with finding the right audience rather than the story line.

Without further ado, here’s my top five reasons why I think you should watch it.

5. It does cowboys and aliens better than Cowboys & Aliens. Well, technically there really aren’t any aliens in Firefly. But it does have a definite Western feel to it. And it doesn’t seem hokey at all. I mean, think about it – they’ve lost the use of Earth and have expanded their reach throughout the universe. They’ve terraformed new planets to suit their needs. It gives a different meaning to the New Frontier. I’m not a big fan of Westerns, but this makes it feel new and fresh. It takes everything that’s good about Westerns and everything that’s good about sci-fi and mashes them together into something original and interesting.

4. They swear in Chinese. The show is set in 2517, and the only two superpowers left are the United States and China. These two have combined to form a central government called the Alliance. Two cultures have fused together, hence the strange combination of old-school pistols and Mandarin cuss words. I don’t know why, but it makes me happy whenever I hear them do this.

3. It’s gritty and realistic. The show is dusty, dirty, and bloody. It isn’t disgusting, but people get hurt – a lot. They’re not superheroes, they’re just normal people. Crap happens and they deal with it as it comes. The entire idea of how this new universe operates seems more realistic to me than a lot of other sci-fi shows. It’s a rough and tumble, people-will-do-what-they-have-to-in-order-to-survive sort of show. People die and backstab and make bad judgments, and it isn’t all shiny stars and cool spaceships. To me, this is what the future of space travel will probably look like 500 years from now.

2. It has a great message – hidden behind some otherwise shady dealings. Malcolm Reynolds is the captain of the ship Serenity, and he’s a thief – sort of. He’d rather do the honest jobs, but if it comes between him taking the high road and him being able to eat at the end of the day, he’s going to do what he has to in order to survive. That’s not to say that he won’t take the high road – he’s actually got a good conscience in him. If he thinks something is explicitly wrong, he won’t do it. And he might even find a way to stop it in the process. That’s the weird thing – the people who crew this ship are the bad guys. They’re running from the government. They’re thieves. They kill people. But, in reality, they’re also the good guys. The government is corrupt. They try not to steal from people who really need it. They save lives when they can. The lines between right and wrong are easily blurred out in Deep Space.

1. The characters. This is by far the number one reason why you should watch this show. I love each and every character here. Here’s a run-down:

A. Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds is the captain. He’s the one that makes the hard decisions and you can’t help but respect him for that. He’s tough to live with sometimes, but he does what he thinks is right and he’s earned himself a loyal crew because of it.

B. Zoe Washburne is the second-in-command. She fought with Mal during the civil war and is his most loyal crewmember. She’s just as tough, but her husband brings out a softer side in her. I like her because she’s a warrior, and she isn’t afraid of anything.

C. Hoban “Wash” Washburne is the pilot and husband to Zoe. He’s probably one of the best flyers in the ‘Verse and Mal is lucky to have him. He’s always got a funny crack to make, and he’s one of the more easily likeable characters.

D. Jayne Cobb is a bit of a difficult character to like, but at the end of the day you just can’t help but become attached. He’s a hired hit man and there’s just about one thing always on his mind: money. He’ll do anything for it, much to Mal’s dismay. He doesn’t always make the right decisions – and he doesn’t always care that he doesn’t – but he sticks with Mal anyway, and you have to give him credit for that.

E. Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” Frye is the ship’s mechanic and boy does she know what she’s doing! She’s got a natural talent and the ship “speaks” to her to let her know if something is wrong. She’s sweet and wholesome (though maybe not entirely in the notion that we’re used to), and she’s got a sense of right and wrong that’s even stronger than Mal’s.

F. Inara Serra is a Companion, which is the equivalent to a prostitute of high social standing. It’s completely legal and it allows her to enjoy the finer things in life. She isn’t ashamed of what she does, and it’s all done in taste on the show. Her and Mal butt heads quite a lot, but their relationship is one of the most interesting (and frustrating) in the series.

The final three characters weren’t original crew members, but are just as important to the story:

G. Derrial Book is a Shephard, the equivalent to a pastor. He’s got an interesting backstory – that’s a complete mystery to us still. He a devout Christian, but he also has quite a few interesting talents up his sleeves. I think he, above anyone else, understands Mal. He asks Mal the hard questions, the ones Mal doesn’t want to think about.

H. Simon Tam is the resident doctor. He’s extremely intelligent and graduated at the top of his class. But the Alliance stole his sister from him and did experiments on her. He threw away his entire life to save her. It isn’t easy, but his love for his sister is the driving force behind just about everything he does.

I. River Tam is Simon’s younger sister. She was a child prodigy and was taken to a special school – or so her family thought. In reality, Alliance doctors experimented on her and she became quite an interesting person – she’s partly telepathic, partly psychotic, and partly a dangerous weapon. Her character and the fact that her brother broke her out of the lab are the driving forces behind the plot of this show.

River is my favorite character pretty much because Summer Glau’s acting skills are off the charts crazy good.

So, for those of you who haven’t seen the show – what do you think? Does it sound like something you’d be interested in? I didn’t find anything special in the pilot, but each episode after that got better and better. By the last few, I was completely and irreversibly hooked on this show. Give it a few episodes and let me know what you think!

For those of you who have been Browncoats for a while. Here are some questions: Who is your favorite character? What’s your favorite episode? If the story were to pick back up again (we can only hope!) what direction would you like to see the show go in?

I’ll be back next Monday to talk about Serenity, the follow-up movie.