I let a little boy live in my book and now he has killed my story!

[shamguy4]

I am getting closer to knowing everything that happens in my book! This is very big for me.
But I just realized I have a sorta problem.

You see I discovered that most young adult books have main character's with no family.
I guessed it was because it was easy this way, to have them go off on a big adventure and kill the dark lord without having to stop and call mom and tell her they will be home for dinner.
Half the books I have read would not have a hero if mom was in charge!!

I wanted to fight this and decided to start with my character having a family. My main character is also 17 giving him a bigger chance of not having parents and other family members push him around.

Later on a terrible thing happens and most of his family is killed and now he is out for revenge as a main part of the book. I decided to let his sister and small brother live. The parents and 2 older siblings perish.

This was all fine and dandy and I made up a lot of the story of what they do and where they go. The sister that still lives sometimes is nervous about all the fighting and sutff but my character does what he must and she comes around.

My issue is the little brother… I have no idea what the hell I did letting this guy live. I felt bad to have them all die!! This kid has no place on the battle field and, the thought of my main character fighting while his little brother is waiting back on some world for him to come home is just gnawing at me.

I tried having them send him off to some boarding school while they dealt with the world and its issues but it came off as somewhat selfish… the kid's parents just died… not sure school is what he needs...

Now I am stuck wondering what you do with a 9 year old when my main character needs to go off and let the book finish the story…

 

[goldhawk]

Is this fantasy? Don't forget in medieval times, boys would be apprenticed as young as 12 (or younger). A 17 year old would be married have already have his own children. Just a thought.

 

[Ajid]

I woukd ask what woukd happen in this situation in reality. That doesn't mean you replicate it but that should help you build it into the story. I have no problem killing off children in my stories even if/especially if they are main characters. It's something real that hapoens and is the greatest fear for many of us. Should provide some amazing writing.

Done i the correct way it could add a dimension to your main. character.
Or some writers let characters develop like this yo

Edit:

I do have one problem, it': horrific and I always think of losing my niece or nephew but the emotion that stirrs up is gold when it comes to character development.

 

[shamguy4]

its another world.... a crazy world. Its futuristic at times… They are smarter at earlier age but still its weird for my brain to see a 9 years old doing this stuff...
maybe I should just write it finally and hope for the best... I don't want to take the kid out completely because the main character teases him a lot and I have some good scenes in the beginning.

 

[Ajid]

I would write it then. I think you already know what to do.

Your story should always be about characters and situations. I think you know this. You don't need aproval to write it as it comes. I see no dead end. I'' maybe a bit morbid but killing the child, which you won't do , would really develop and test the other character. By the way I've got some imagined idea of your story that is probably far from the truth. I just like the idea of a grief ridden anti hero.

 

[shamguy4]

He lost his parents and 2 older siblings! How can i not keep some…

 

[Parson]

And exactly what is wrong the little brother going off to a boarding school? It would seem to be the safest and sanest place for him if what's left of his family is in deadly danger. He might not like it, but hey, he's the little one and that's what happens to little ones.

 

[shamguy4]

Im scared t makes my main character and his sister look like pathetic cave ins. Instead of caring for him they let him go.... They should stick together after what happen...

 

[Parson]

What would really be pathetic is if they put some one too small to handle the fighting in the middle of deadly danger.

 

[Ajid]

To be a.bit more helpful it will be weird to see a nine year old doing stuff like this but is it weird in the world you have built. I have spent months working out a reasonable way to measure time in my universe. I came up with cessium. Well that's what We actually use in atomic clocks. Of course I got rid of seconds hours and days but it was all based on some element of fact. Kids that have lost parents ultimately emotionally are kids that have list parents. I doubt you have hit a road block. There are probably a lot of things that are not deus ex machina to further your story. Take it back a few steps, think about the overall plan for the story and rework the detail.

Another however, however.

Why isn't it that the older brother and sister have protected this younger childin the family. Whatever it is they are doing why isn't it that they are doing it so he doesn't have to see this future/present as they do. Maybe use it as a way to further strengthen the sister as a character. we do things when we become heros that in reality and well written stories are not heroic and then we as individuals find we need to justify what we've done. "i only did it for love" or "I did it for her" or hot fuzz style "The greater good!" This kid as a developed readon in your story is sounding better by the minute. Loosing parents is one thing but even Batman had an issue processing this but loosing parents and bringing up a younger brother.


You don't have a problem here you have an opportunity.

Infact already I'm more interested in the younger brother than anyone else. Cut out what's not needed when you've finished the story.

 

[Ajid]

I really want to run with this idea. In my eyes batman is down to Alfred being a terrible replacement father figure but an older brother in a situation like you've described going on and doing what he's doing, well it's got some potential for this youngster going to boarding school eith a grudge. Looking up to and being angry with him. I'll be keen to see what you do with this young chap.

 

[Alex The G and T]

Typically, in fiction targeted to, perhaps, younger audiences; the younger sibling is an annoying pain, a needy obstruction requiring much too much care and feeding. Suddenly, the younger brat comes up with an unorthodox, clever idea and saves the day.

Or maybe he just accidentally gets underfoot and trips up the antagonist at an opportune moment.

 

[shamguy4]

You dont understand...

imagine Luke Skywalker is about to fight with the Emperor, and suddenly his 9 year old brother walks in and says he wants a drink...

 

[Ajid]

Typically, in fiction targeted to, perhaps, younger audiences; the younger sibling is an annoying pain, a needy obstruction requiring much too much care and feeding. Suddenly, the younger brat comes up with an unorthodox, clever idea and saves the day.

Or maybe he just accidentally gets underfoot and trips up the antagonist at an opportune moment.

Said like a true older brother.

 

[Ajid]

You dont understand...

imagine Luke Skywalker is about to fight with the Emperor, and suddenly his 9 year old brother walks in and says he wants a drink...

Tell me again why there's not awesome potential here??

 

[shamguy4]

cause thats just funny... not what I want though....

 

[Ajid]

Tell me again why there's not awesome potential here??

I'll show you the true meaning of dark ale

 

[Ajid]

Well then kill the little tyke. But Skywalker isn't a great example,

"Sister, so you have a twin sister, if you won't be turned prehaps she will"

Going back to serious mode.



Maybe sending him to boarding school could be a source of conflict for the main character and add some dimension to him lest he be as cardboard as say, I don't know, Luke Skywalker?

 

[Alex The G and T]

You dont understand...

imagine Luke Skywalker is about to fight with the Emperor, and suddenly his 9 year old brother walks in and says he wants a drink...

But what if the younger brother walks in and says, "I noticed that the Emporor can't breathe very well if you fill his air intakes with Legos and gummy bears. Here, I have a bunch in my pocket."

 

[Ajid]

Right you've asked a serious question and I've mucked about a bit in truth it depends a lot on how integral this character is. Why is this an issue? Have you written developed and put time in to this character? I hate to say it but if it doesn't drive the story or develop a character cut it. Seriously you don't need "fill" characters. Personally I'd revisit the character as an opportunity to better understand your lead character but you'll still want to cut a lot from the way your talking. It sounds like you have become attached to this young lad and that can be hard to cut but if he's in the way you have to find a method of getting him out of said way.

It sounds like you have a well developed plot and he has no place so you're just going to have to revise your approach.

It was very telling what you said about Skywalker, for all star wars faults in the original three there were no baggage characters. Even if it did mean cutting scences of blasting womp rats in a T-16.

I get the feeling you know that anyway.