WRITERS, DON'T K*LL YOUR CHARACTERS! Try This First...

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  • Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
  • In this video, I go over the literary term, A Fate Worse Than Death. Using this device, writers can write better characters and have a deeper understanding of their cast. I know there will be some people who think I am TELLING writers or even saying that killing off characters is a bad thing. I am not. This is just another way to look at writing a compelling character and a story!
    =============================
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    Chapters:
    00:00 What Is A Fate Worse Than Death?
    03:35 Why Do We Love Killing Characters?
    07:58 Intermission
    08:13 Creating A Fate Worse Than Death
    08:27 Spoilers (What I'm talking about)
    09:23 The Duelist (Example)
    13:58 HP Lovecraft (Example)
    15:11 Hyperion (Example)
    17:52 Creating Emotional Resonance and Emotional Lows
    18:13 Sound of Metal (Example)
    22:09 Pitfalls/Mistakes in Character Deaths
    25:26 Using A Fate Worse Than Death to Write Better Stakes
    29:55 Steps To Take To Create A Fate Worse Than Death
    Interested in booking a 1-on-1 call to talk about your writing, stories, or publishing in general? You can book a call with me and I will review/critique up to 50 pages of your work:
    calendly.com/wrestling-with-w...
    =============================
    Referenced Books
    =============================
    Hyperion
    Silence
    Dagon
    Call of Cthulu
    The Road
    =============================
    Referenced Movies and TV Shows
    =============================
    Silence
    The Duelist
    Game of Thrones
    Star Wars
    Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood
    =============================
    Referenced Games
    =============================
    Titan Fall 2
    Tyranny
    Dragon Age
    Pillars of Eternity
    =============================
    Connect with me!
    =============================
    🐤 Twitter: ➡︎ / wrestling_words
    📸 IG: ➡︎ / cameron_thomson_author
    =============================
    📓Medium: / wrestlingwithwords
    🌲Linktree: linktr.ee/wrestling_with_words
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    📚Some of My Fiction (check out my Linktree for more!)
    =============================
    -Static Love: tinyurl.com/474kaesf
    -Catatonic Cargo: tinyurl.com/bpa8jpbe
    -The One Who Did Not Go: tinyurl.com/sxkt285u
    -To Hold Something Like You: voicesdelaluna.org/ (Winter 2022 issue)
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 147

  • @wrestlingwithwords
    @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +8

    Thank you for watching! Check out these other videos too:
    The Number 1 Thing Missing With Your Character: ua-cam.com/video/NA-H5o79Tx0/v-deo.html
    How to Write Better Conflict: ua-cam.com/video/WeOE2j0VSQ0/v-deo.html

  • @bazdotorg
    @bazdotorg Місяць тому +109

    as long as a sacrifice or death serves to drive growth in everyone else... i don't mind a sad sendoff

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +22

      OH! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind when a character gets killed off or sad deaths. I think, in the right context, they are really powerful. All I am saying/offering is a different angle or tactic to take to develop characters and even break them :).
      Thank you for watching and the comment!

    • @bazdotorg
      @bazdotorg Місяць тому +1

      @@wrestlingwithwords all of your videos are super insightful and helpful!! :) just wanted to say that too lol

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      @@bazdotorg Well I REALLY appreciate that! Thank you so much for saying so:). I do love getting other writers perspectives and takes. All of it helps with the next video!

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому +1

      ugh! what is this? moulin rouge?

    • @Cody-5501
      @Cody-5501 Місяць тому +3

      Oh boromir the tower of guard shall ever northward gaze to rauros golden rouros falls until the end of days.

  • @Battleguild
    @Battleguild Місяць тому +98

    Cowardly characters are a great example of this, as each time they run away, they sacrifice a small part of themselves to ward off their fear.
    A Coward dies a thousand deaths, before they are finally confronted with the ultimate cost of their cowardice.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +4

      Well said. I do love that quote/saying. Cowardess characters are really fun to write--honestly, any character with a severely undesirable trait is fun to write. Thank you for watching and for your comment!

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому +1

      right, cause you'd definitely do better in a traumatic situation. surely you'd never fail a test of your mettle. let's laugh at the weak! how foolish!

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      @@wrestlingwithwords okay, i do love it when they lie to themselves. funniest thing in my super dark, sad sack story

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      @@intellectually_lazy Would you say that you prefer writing characters with very little, or even no flaws?

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      @@intellectually_lazy I don't think I implied that. Mostly was saying that heroes with flaws or undesirable traits are more enjoyable to write and can lead to a more interesting story. We are talking about fiction still, right?

  • @laru09
    @laru09 Місяць тому +26

    I like how a "fate worse that death" means to live, or better yet, to fully live, with all of existence's absurdity, suffering and tragicness.

  • @DefinitelyNotAMachineCultist
    @DefinitelyNotAMachineCultist Місяць тому +26

    Broke: *Character deaths are necessary for like, stakes, and um… telling a mature story and stuff…*
    Woke: *_They can't suffer when they're dead!_*

  • @theunwantedcritic
    @theunwantedcritic Місяць тому +42

    I like that you cite your references

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +9

      It’s something I am going to try to do more often. Thank you for watching!

  • @x-mighty7602
    @x-mighty7602 Місяць тому +31

    5:17 That happened in a story of mine. The deuteragonist wanted the glory of being a hero, and the villain gave the opportunity to be recognized by everyone at the cost of his friends' and daughter's lives. He refused it and never "completed his arc" because although he became a recognized hero, he never lived to see that, and that was his dream: To see the people recognize him as a hero, and he never fullfilled it. Textbook definition of tragedy.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      Wonderful! (tragic, but exactly the point). Thank you for sharing and for your comment!

  • @gianenci
    @gianenci Місяць тому +24

    For the story I'm writing I was thinking something worse than dead for each of the main characters(not to actually use them all, but to know how to write them better) and in this video you said clearly many things I was thinking but I was struggling to get focus on. Thanks!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      I’m so glad you found my video helpful! Yeah the fate or worse outcome than death was one of those things that felt like a revelations about writing and character development. Thank you so much for watching!

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      i used buried alive, pretty close to the beginning

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      and one character i got sick of, killed him twice

  • @abdulla10955
    @abdulla10955 Місяць тому +16

    l don’t know, sometimes an unceremonious sendoff of an important character can hit just right. If you’re going for a realistic vibe having important characters die off in unexpected ways can reinstate that feeling of your world being a place where anything can happen, even things that seem unfair and cruel. At the end of the day, the real world has historically been unbiased when it comes to moral compasses, religious views or even historical significance. Alexander the Great died from illness, you get the idea.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +4

      I do agree with you! All that I am saying is that if you understand that thing that might be a fate worse than death, there will be an added thematic layer to your character and whatever stakes they might face. It's sort of like understanding the wants/needs/desires but on steroids.
      Thank you for watching and for sharing your perspective! I really appreciate it!

    • @abdulla10955
      @abdulla10955 Місяць тому +1

      @@wrestlingwithwords Sorry I typed this out without fully watching the video. You addressed exactly what I said🤣

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      @@abdulla10955 no problem :). Holding me accountable!!!

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      the old tasha yarr treatment: die like a redshirt

  • @PsychOnlineAldrian
    @PsychOnlineAldrian Місяць тому +6

    I've never heard of The Duelist. Thanks for sharing some classic examples! 🎉🎉

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      It is a fantastic film, even if you know what is going to happen. The duels are some of the most accurate forms of sword fighting portrayed in a film. Thank you for watching and for the comment!

  • @SMunro
    @SMunro Місяць тому +6

    "Anything but the Whip!"
    "Anything?"
    "The Whip. The Whip."

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +4

      I was tempted to also put the scene in from The Wicker Man... "NOT THE BEEESSS! AHHHhhhHHHghhhH"

  • @trikebeatstrexnodiff
    @trikebeatstrexnodiff Місяць тому +16

    I think the novel "All Tomorrows" by C.M. Kösemen is the epitome of fate worse than death. Although the book is not character driven; the pain, sympathy and the compassionate desire to see them dead that makes you feel for how each character, or rather, each human sub-species, is just unexplainable...
    One human species called the Colonials, was turned into a wall of flesh just with a mouth and some eyes, just to consume the biological waste of the Qu (the beings which turned them into the very wall of flesh), them being in constant agony for millions of years while being conscious and remembering their past... (Kinda is like the combination of the situations in "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream", and "Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood")
    There are many sub human-species whom were also turned into different abominations and honestly, their situations are also so gut-wrenching you'd want to see them dead asap.
    (Kinda unrelated but how about the Etruscans whom saw the city they built, Rome, was disgustingly claimed by those uncivilized tribes whom decided to steal the name Rome and built their goofy ahh empire which had its base on everything the Etruscans had built... From religion (today's "rOmAn" mythology) to architecture to clothes to food and so on... I don't really like and even see it as a hypocrital act how those thief rOmAns are being praised and the people, or mostly men as you said, feel so sad (womp womp 🥱) for their downfalls (476 and 1453) but don't even mention and also refuse the acknowledge the astronomical influence the Etruscans had on the romans whom either destroyed or took everything the Etruscans had built before them...)
    Anyways, this was an awesome video that made deep dive into this topic. Thank you!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      I haven't read All Tomorrows--I will have to check it out. Also, thanks for the detailed comment! I am not as familiar with that particular portion of history, but it sounds interesting. I'll have to spend some time reading about it.
      Also, thank you for watching and sharing your perspective, I really appreciate it!

  • @SnakeWasRight
    @SnakeWasRight Місяць тому +7

    Problem with this approach is that the writer must actually have character motivation beyond "not die" or "beat bad guy"

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +5

      While this is true, it also requires a deeper understanding of your character. The motivation can be “don’t die “or “beat the bad guy” but this motivation is elevated if there is something else or something in addition at stake. Thank you so much for watching and thank you for the comment!

    • @SnakeWasRight
      @SnakeWasRight Місяць тому +2

      @@wrestlingwithwords indeed!

  • @m.r.471
    @m.r.471 Місяць тому +4

    Gege Akutami should be taking some pointers lmao

  • @cash1833
    @cash1833 Місяць тому +2

    I really enjoyed this video! Very helpful!

  • @jurelkirklandfilms2510
    @jurelkirklandfilms2510 Місяць тому +5

    Great video, man. You had me taking notes for the first time lol. I'll definitely be applying this to my novel.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      I am really touched that this was so helpful. Please keep us updated on the progress of your novel. Thank you for watching and for your kind comment!

  • @loljab9322
    @loljab9322 Місяць тому +1

    This is EXACTLY what I needed at this time! I need to express how AMAZING this video is. Thankyou so much!!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      I am really happy this was helpful! Thank you for the kind comment and for watching, I appreciate it very much.

  • @WriterNumber3950
    @WriterNumber3950 Місяць тому +2

    I've come back and watched this a few times now. I really like the idea of finding the essence of a character to help create a more interesting and motivating narrative. I'm sure I'll come back to this video in the future! Also, the duelist is a classic!

  • @Drudenfusz
    @Drudenfusz Місяць тому +4

    Was hesitant to watch the video yesterday, since I find that topic is often done very bad. And you seemed not even to attempt to address the big issue that come with it. I mean the video was not bad, but the two biggest issues are that too often authors misuse this. Like becoming a cripple is somehow worse than death, and thus devaluing the lives of people who got an amputation or sit in a wheelchair. And that leads of course to the horrible trope of better off being dead, that comes then also quite often up in fiction that handles this poorly. So, if you want to talk more about this topic, maybe address those concerns which sadly too many authors seem not to even to consider the implications of what they put on the page.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +6

      @Drudenfusz Hey, I really appreciate the feedback and the critique. One thing that I will say is that, by virtue of the examples I gave and the actual steps I suggested, I was advocating against those concerns. I can't address everything, and I wanted this video to lean more toward a constructive "do this", as opposed to a cautionary, "don't do that". I know there can be a great deal of cliche tropes used in The Fate Worse Than Death, but what I suggested was specifically targeted at finding the essence of what a character values and cares about. And, in the same vain of your concerns, I even suggested a really great example of how a disability was done in an authentic way, and that the disability took away something that was a source of passion and identity (The Sund of Metal). Again, I will take this sort of suggestion as constructive criticism, and consider it for my next video. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment. Thank you!

  • @bertwesler1181
    @bertwesler1181 Місяць тому +9

    in 68 years of life as a male, I have never had a single spontaneous converstation about Rome with anyone.
    I don't understand this new mimetic about a "male" fascination with Rome.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      I think it is just a trendy joke that has been blown out to the extremes... You can thank the internet for doing its thing!

  • @thenobledoinkster2952
    @thenobledoinkster2952 Місяць тому +3

    For some reason this only has like 300 likes? I’m on the phone with UA-cam rn don’t worry king I’ll get this sorted

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      I appreciate every one of them and any that come after! Thank you for watching!

  • @nicholas2827
    @nicholas2827 Місяць тому +1

    This was Great!!!

  • @BadNessie
    @BadNessie Місяць тому +3

    I think that at the beginning of the 2017 movie Hostiles, Captain Blocker is sent to a fate worse than death, if not worse from our perspective, then from his, very clearly. And it makes the entire journey all the more impactful.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      It has been a while since I've seen Hostiles but I think you're right. Many Westerns use this storytelling element as an inciting event or as a drive for the main character to 'get even' or 'find justice' or 'go after whoever wronged/harmed them and/or their family'.
      Thank you for your comment and for watching :)!

    • @BadNessie
      @BadNessie Місяць тому +1

      @@wrestlingwithwords yes, it's the inciting incident of this one - and it's at least as impactful as the 'instant death of a close person' in so many other stories. I understand the need if it's supposed to be a revenge story, but using the alternative is no less effective.

  • @andre_santos2181
    @andre_santos2181 Місяць тому +7

    I just wrote a novel on 1295 and now I am writing on 935

  • @Maybeyoudorho
    @Maybeyoudorho Місяць тому +1

    I don’t remember the exact quote or where I heard it from but it went along the lines of “You know a person’s true character when they come face to face with their own death.” And I used that to analyze Cayde-6 and Uldren Sov’s death in D2. Death in Destiny was different for these characters because Cayde was a Guardian who has lived for over 100 years, whose job requires him to constantly die and resurrect. Uldren was an Awoken Prince, who had lived even longer. not aging a day only to return to earth where he now (extremely slowly) ages. When Cayde died he was brave, he kept fighting even though it was hopeless, even weakly cracking a few feeble jokes. Tossed a threat to Uldren “When my friend (the player) gets here you’re gonna be in a world of hurt”. And when the player spoke to him during his final moments Cayde was more worried about the player’s reaction to the situation than his own death. through ragged breaths he says things like “How’s my hair? Ha- speechless! Typical.”and then more sincerely “This isn’t on you” and his final words being “You tell Zavala and Ikora...the Vanguard...is the best bet... I've ever...lost...” he didn’t regret joining the Vanguard despite how much he hated being the Hunter Vanguard. He didn’t resent his fireteam. He didn’t blame anyone. And he wasn’t a coward. He accepted his death with his head held high and even mocked his killer.
    Uldren wasn’t a coward either. He had lost everything. His sister, his friends, his people who he turned against. He had become a monster in an “ends justify the means” kind of way and after realizing it was for nothing he stood by what he did. He even challenged the player in what they were doing. “The line between light and dark is oh so thin- do you know which side you’re on?” He knew his time was up, he believed in what he did and he continued to believe what he did was necessary. “Everything I did- I did for her.” When he was finally cornered he accepted his fate at the player’s hands and with whatever dignity he had left.
    It makes me think of my own characters and how they’d face their own deaths. What’s the worst thing to happen to them before their death and what would their response to their death be like?
    One in particular was of an arrogant and selfish man who grows and matured into the leader his teammates needed him to become. But I picture his death comes after the death of his teammates. Maybe it’s not something he whole heartedly realized throughout his time with them, but for him the worst case scenario was out living his teammates. After everything he did, all the hard work he put into protecting his team, they still ended up dying and in the end he blamed himself for failing them.

  • @EmmaBennetAuthor
    @EmmaBennetAuthor Місяць тому +2

    I don't think I'd cope well with killing off a character!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      "I know what I must do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it!"

  • @volcryndarkstar3283
    @volcryndarkstar3283 Місяць тому +3

    "Can you imagine what that must have been like?"
    Yes. As a man I am required by Council Mandate Number: 377 to think about Rome and contemplate its fall at least once per day.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      Well done brother. The United Accord of Masculine Membership will be pleased with your response. 🫡… 😂😂

  • @lindildeev5721
    @lindildeev5721 Місяць тому +2

    Another fate worse than death would be immortality and great examples of that are Wolverine and Jack Harkness. They both have to die again and again in often gruesome ways and then come back to life in a painful way. Also, since they can live forever, they also have to experience loss of their close ones. At these moments, they wish they could simply die for good but they can't.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      Exactly! I had a longer segment written out for 'I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream' (but cut it because the video was getting a little lengthy) where I talked about AM being trapped as well in a fate worse than death. They were created and were given huge amounts of intelligence, but could do nothing with it.
      AM could not wander. AM could not wonder. AM, could not, belong. He could only...BE. This is a fate worse than death.
      Immortality is a great Fate Worse Than Death because there is so much tragedy baked into it that you could explore. Thank you for watching and for your comment!

  • @heal41hp
    @heal41hp 28 днів тому +1

    I have yet to decide whether my MC survives the climax and has to live with the consequences or dies in battle as he’s always hoped to.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  27 днів тому +1

      Living with the consequences could be worse than their own death!

    • @heal41hp
      @heal41hp 27 днів тому +2

      @@wrestlingwithwords It absolutely would. I'm just not quite sure yet which option is most appropriate for story arc/theme.

  • @FloresRain
    @FloresRain Місяць тому +1

    Jiraiyas death lead to Narutos massive development.

  • @leonmayne797
    @leonmayne797 Місяць тому +1

    Another thing you can do with character deaths is have them end their main character arc a while before they die and give them a kind of ‘New Game +’ where they decide where they want to go from here and it seems to the audience that they’re starting on a new character arc.

  • @Khatoon170
    @Khatoon170 Місяць тому +2

    Thank you mr Aaron for your wonderful educational channel about creative writing and nece tips for beginners writers . I gathered main information about topic you mentioned briefly here it’s fate worse than death means to have to suffer through ordeal that makes person prefer death over going through again . As misfortunes which person life not worth living . This pharse fate worse than death used to mean rape of virgins in gibbon 1781 decline and fall of Roman Empire. Now even worse than that . Sometimes for writers death is cheap or maybe they have children as their intended audience or nosy censor and can’t kill of villain or character. Killing characters is device in fiction where character dies , but story continues. This term frequently applied to television, films , video games. Killing character that has served their purpose within story . There guide how to kill character ensure there are narrative purpose . Deliver sufficient emotional impact , balance death against reader investment, invest in foreshadowing and willd up .consider consequences and aftermath, be sure to avoid cliches . Create closure and resolution. Happy mother day . We celebrated mother day in Arabic countries as well as England last March. It’s different date around world you in USA and Canada on May.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      I appreciate your kind words and the effort you put into sharing your thoughts! Thank you for watching and happy Mother's Day to you!

  • @chriswest8389
    @chriswest8389 Місяць тому +1

    Remember Quin Malery from sliders? He got shot And worse, cancelled.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  29 днів тому

      This is a reference I do not know 😅.

    • @chriswest8389
      @chriswest8389 23 дні тому +1

      @@wrestlingwithwords A sci fi T.V series from the late 90s to the early 00s, Latrell worlds,staring Jerry O’Connor in the lead, staring as the young genius. The wound wasnt fatal but the cancelation was- after about 5 seasons. Great cast, concept, poor scripts though.

  • @arsonista
    @arsonista Місяць тому

    good vid!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      Thank you for saying so! And thank you so much for watching!

  • @johnmanole4779
    @johnmanole4779 Місяць тому +8

    1:09 the shallow "male fascination" !

  • @AaronJediKnight
    @AaronJediKnight Місяць тому +1

    That calamity gave us St. Augustine's City of God

  • @erinaltstadt4234
    @erinaltstadt4234 Місяць тому +1

    Thank you

  • @bojovic78
    @bojovic78 Місяць тому +2

    at the time Rome wasn't the capital of the empire for a few centuries ...

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      Small misspeak. Thanks for the correction and thank you for watching, I appreciate it.

  • @heatherkline6766
    @heatherkline6766 Місяць тому +1

    In one story that I am thinking of telling soon (it quite literally wrote itself) my point of view character, also my protagonist, endures the death of someone he loves. Even worse, he is framed for it which leads to rejection from his father, someone whose love is special to him. To top it all off, my protagonist is taken away from his family and as a result has no way to protect them from the real killer, who is still free; in this new location he is given the impossible dilemma: refuse to stop another murder or face pain (he has had an easy life to this point). Then, later, someone is killed and my protagonist has to decide again: will he say nothing and save himself or will he tell the truth and risk being killed and never reuniting with his family, unlikely as that may be? In addition the reason he is even in this distant place is because he didn't speak out to defend himself from the false accusations, he felt certain his father would believe him.

  • @ClarissaValderiz
    @ClarissaValderiz 28 днів тому

    Someone show this to Gege Akutami please. He's writing the plot in a death note.

  • @Azihayya
    @Azihayya Місяць тому +1

    Cool.

  • @delightchikezie7097
    @delightchikezie7097 Місяць тому +1

    Gerhman's faith in Bloodborne is definitely worse than death

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      Actually yes! I thought about talking about some of the endings of Bloodborne, and how even those are a fate worse than death. Really good point and thank you for point that out!

  • @jedielfqueen
    @jedielfqueen Місяць тому +1

    Another take is a fate worse than loss to death. It's a trope for a hero or villain an orphan, but there are worse things than not having that loving support in your life.
    - Being abandoned, or disclaimed/unclaimed especially by a well known and respected parent could be worse than losing them. (Can't think of one...)
    - Being estranged from them and unable to fix it (Colin in Secret Garden)
    - TOO involved in your MC's future can be a nightmare (All the characters to Marie in Everyone Loves Raymond)
    - Seemingly disapproves of everything you do. (Jack in LOST)
    - Makes you do something you don't want to do. (Balaam in Jupiter Ascending)
    - Don't see the big problem as a problem (Like Simon and River's parents in Firefly).
    - Parent didn't die, but they are evil (Luke Skywalker )
    Just realized, Kate in Lost had 3 fates worse than the loss to death - her adoptive dad she admired all but disowned her, her real dad turns out to be abusive and her mom prefers her abusive dad to her.
    Overcoming that loss worse than death is a good redemption story.

    • @jedielfqueen
      @jedielfqueen Місяць тому +1

      This can apply to losing other characters, not just parents - so when considering killing someone off and how that affects the MCs, it could be helpful and interesting to think about what is worse than a loss to death.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      @@jedielfqueen exactly! There are a ton of options. But don’t just limit yourself to think a characters fate worse than death will make a redemption story! There are a ton of arcs a character can go through when faced with, threatened, or motivated by a fate worse than death. Thank you for your comment and for watching!! :)

  • @SnowmanInHell
    @SnowmanInHell Місяць тому +1

    Might be my spotty memory, but I don’t recall Omar doing anything close to warrant being used as an example villain. The guy was one of the more moral characters on the show.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      Great point! So I have seen people label him as a TRUE anti-hero and even a 'new era villain'. I would say that The Wire does a really good job of creating a massive grayscale of characters where many are the heroes of their story while being the villains to others. Omar Little, I think, is miss-labeled as moral or even as being a hero. He has somewhat of a code of ethics but enacts vigilante justice which can be a disruptive force in a community and undermine law enforcement while endangering the public. It's complicated!
      Thank you though for the comment and for watching, I really appreciate it!

  • @angelintodemonseed
    @angelintodemonseed Місяць тому +1

    I’m currently writing a six-part political intrigue series where I’m considering having the main antagonists serve out fates they would consider worse than death (loss of allies, back to basics, etc.). I’ll admit, it’s a bit out of my comfort zone, but interests me, nonetheless.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      Keep in mind that these don't always have to actually happen. The fate that is worse than death can be a fear, impacting their actions and decisions. It can also be something that has already happened to them or something they have seen happen to someone else. Thank you for your comment and for watching!

  • @jesustyronechrist2330
    @jesustyronechrist2330 20 днів тому +1

    "Fate worse than death" is weird. It's basically a nihilistic slogan, a resignation that living is worse than dying. That people would rather die than to suffer.
    Which... follows. People have been willing to die for a cause rather than be part of an establishment they hate. Torture is torture, be it physical, sexual, emotional, ideological, intellectual... We would rather die than be compromised.
    That sounds like a good character...

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  20 днів тому

      Thank you for your comment! However, I’m not sure-or at least it seems-that you didn’t watch the video. The point that I was making is centered around the literary usage of this term as a storytelling device. A fate worse than death is putting a character in front of an obstacle and having it affect them on a deeper level than their own death. Thanks again for your comment and sharing your perspective.

  • @RonCecchetti
    @RonCecchetti Місяць тому +1

    This video feels like it should be to George Martin about game of thrones. They killed like so many characters and it seemed like too much to the point where it was like "this is just the culture of the show" and it almost took me out of the show bc I'm like of course he would kill that character

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      I totally understand where you are coming from with that and I get there are probably a lot of people who share that sentiment (though I think the show started to take this to an extreme and broke some of the logic/spirit of the characters)... However, I will say, that earlier seasons of the show and the books for that matter did do character deaths pretty well, and did a good job of also giving characters a fate worse than death (Jamie's hand... Lady Stone Heart... Tyrion's Shea.... Cersei and her children dying....) I could go on.
      But thank you for watching and for the comment! :)

  • @raeoverhere923
    @raeoverhere923 Місяць тому +1

    I very, very rarely kill characters, I tend to prefer to torment them, haha. I read somewhere once that 'death is cheap', and, for me, I only ever use a death when it's integral to moving other characters forward, and still, only when that character really has no other impetus to keep moving.
    Unfortunately, this habit of mine is pretty predictable, and my friends always ask "so, what's this one's traumatic backstory/destiny?" when I pitch characters to them. xD

  • @opheliusluci7992
    @opheliusluci7992 Місяць тому +1

    Danke!

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +1

      Thank you so much!! Cheers to being the first super chat :)❤️

    • @opheliusluci7992
      @opheliusluci7992 Місяць тому +1

      Oh my god I was walking my dog and I butt-donated to you accidentally lmao. But honestly, this was a very informative video and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
      So I guess this was meant to be, you've earned yourself a new subscriber, can't wait to see your future work

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      OH NO! Well I can look into how to refund you. If you send me an email I can try to PayPal you! Thank you though for the kind words I still appreciate you very much!

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    aristotle called that catharthis

  • @kathyl6677
    @kathyl6677 Місяць тому +1

    I don't think those are the kinds of "steaks" (23:48) one thinks about at times like this... unless it's your last supper. 😅

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    hmm 6 duels and it didn't even take 5 freakin' hours! looking at you, hamilton

  • @tgillies101
    @tgillies101 Місяць тому +2

    BT 😢😢

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    essence, lol. now i'm just being juvenille, but seriously, wash your hands

  • @joshuab3918
    @joshuab3918 Місяць тому +1

    Death serves a narrative role: it is a permanent consequence that removes a character from the story. Your alternative examples feel either impermanent or put too much of a spotlight on a character who now sticking around to undergo a character arc that is unrelated to the main plot.
    Your examples are fine ways to make characters suffer, but I would never pivot away from a character death into one of these.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      First, thank you for the comment and for sharing your perspective, I really appreciate it. However, I think we agree for the most part, but I am just offering alternative narrative devices that might have the same effect (or a greater effect) on the audience and characters.
      Death does not just mean removing a character from the story. There are plenty of instances where death does not entirely remove a character's presence or impact. Death does not always mean THE END. And, what I am expressing, is that there are alternative things you can do to facilitate a similar effect on the audience and add as a point of conflict/tension.
      By no means am I telling you or any other writer to pivot away from what suits their story, all I am doing is offering an alternative threat and an alternative thematic conclusion you can have on a character. Thank you again for the comment and for sharing your opinion.

  • @Exayevie
    @Exayevie Місяць тому +1

    How do we clone you and get twice as many videos?

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +2

      😅😅 This is both flattering and a personal, (self-identified) fault--I want to make more and make it faster!! Thank you for watching!

  • @ce666isa3
    @ce666isa3 Місяць тому +1

    Nah if Aegon isn’t like this on the house of dragons show

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    shouldn'ta used that shellack wooden jerry

  • @august8679
    @august8679 Місяць тому +1

    What would your fate worse than death be? Mine would be being possessed by an evil demon that wreaks havoc on my life.

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому +3

      Oh god. I wouldn't want to speak that into existence at let it live forever in my own comment section! Lol, thank you for watching :)!

    • @sodapopcowboy8620
      @sodapopcowboy8620 Місяць тому +1

      "It's Pajama Day at work tomorrow. Put your pajamas on! >:]"

  • @bobdhshshxhzvs2314
    @bobdhshshxhzvs2314 Місяць тому +7

    The roman empire didn't fall. It just became the roman catholic church.

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    a fate worse than death to lovecraft: having "impure" bloodlines, but apparently not being the toxic inventor of inceldom, probably because his death was as harsh as his loser, hateful life, but hey, open source

  • @diannebdee
    @diannebdee Місяць тому

    Your spelling of "steaks" at 24:02, is the steaks you grill on the bbq and have with onions, or baked potatoes and beans. The ones you mean are the "STAKES" Whether they be the wooden kind to kill a vampire or to anchor a tent, or the ones that are integral to a story.

  • @intellectually_lazy
    @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

    um, scuse me. you guys don't just get to have rome, even as an insult. who's the chair of roman studies at oxford? not a guy, that's who. her name is mary beard. maybe you've heard of her

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      i swear, i'm this close to disliking this and never watching your show again. go on, call me a "cuck" or whatever it is you people do

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому

      you, that's who i mean by that, you

    • @intellectually_lazy
      @intellectually_lazy Місяць тому +1

      geez, what happened to my second comment in this thread? well, i stayed, so you kept me watching. great job! but seriously, that was great, thanks

    • @wrestlingwithwords
      @wrestlingwithwords  Місяць тому

      @@intellectually_lazy I've had other commenters say that their comments get deleted or don't show up in their threads too. Might be that YT thinks there is spam or something. Regardless, thanks for watching and for your comments. I really appreciate it.

  • @apersonlikeanyother6895
    @apersonlikeanyother6895 Місяць тому

    If you cant be nice to your characters, dont write

  • @erinaltstadt4234
    @erinaltstadt4234 Місяць тому +1

    Thank you