Welcome to Gaia! ::

I'm currently at a standstill at making a decision in my book. At some point in the novel i have decided and im set on making a tragedy happen right in front of the readers eyes. I want it to be the most intriguing (interesting) book that i can possibly make it. The only way to do that is to introduce lots and lots of conflict to the point where the reader doesn't know what the outcome will be AND wants to read on to find out what will happen. I've got just about everything for that squared away except one minor detail.

There is a scene in the book where the main character has a tragic moment. This is one of the climax's' of the book that I've enveloped in its pages. I want someone to die, someone important. It cant be just anybody, it has to be someone the reader has grown attached to, or fond of, and it has to be someone the main character is very close to. So at first I wanted the girl friend to die (well not really his girl friend its really just implied because its one of those "invisible" relationships you see in animes very often. Example: Robin and Starfire in teen titans, or Lloyd and Collette from Tales of Symphonia.) a very miserable graphic death in a freak accident during a heated clash between the main character and his opponent, where she gets caught in the crossfire on accident.

Then I thought to myself, this is a great idea, during the moment, but how will it affect the reader in the long run. It certainly wont leave a very satisfying ending where the reader always wants the guy to get the girl and live happily ever after.

The other possibility i considered was to make it so that instead of the gf getting hit, the main charicters older sister, whom he is VERY close to and has many flash backs throughout the book (to show how much of a kind caring person she is, and how much the main charicter is fond of her.) about, (the flashbacks will be in the book reguardless) sees the oncoming danger and tries to shove the girl out of the way to make her narrowly escape her demise. The noble act comes with the ultimate sacrifice though, as instead of the gf getting hit, the sister who the reader has also grown attached to over time, gets hit in her place, and dies the same way.

this way someone still dies in a shocking accident that leaves the reader in awe, and hopefully in tears, and at the end of the book the guy still gets the girl.

the problem with this though is I'm questioning if the shock value is strong enough to get the readers attention. I'm sure it will either way, no matter who ends up meeting their demise. But if i throw the sister in there in the girlfriends place, i'm afraid the shock value might be reduced to make it a little mini-climax instead of being a major climax. also if its the sister, and the gf doesnt die, i'm afraid the book wont sell as well because it was just another fantasy where the hero gets the girl in the end as always.

Among the well known treasured stories I'm referring to where the significant other dies a sad death of course is the titanic. I'm sure that if jack did not die in the end that very tearful tragic death, the story wouldn't be as well known and widely recognized as a work of genius.

so now i'll ask again, please vote at the poll so i can get what the reader's opinion is. Do you think it would make for a better overall book if the sister, or the girl (whom the main character is closely attracted to, but in a mild manner) died. Don't say neither one or both because I need at least one of them to live, and the other one to die regardless to make this book work.

i think that the one in which the sister dies would be best. you could make it so that the main character becomes closer to his sister through memories and flash backs. i like the way the book sounds, i would also like to read it if that is at all posible. hope it turns out well