*cracks knuckles*

[agilebrit]

Okay, my death scenes always suck, right? Which is a shame, because I write a lot of them, in the genres I write in. My fanfic also had its fair share of people dropping like flies. *eyes ReaverFic* The death scenes are usually better after six or seven rewrites, but I have nearly as hard a time with characters dying as I do describing what they look like.

However, the death scene in the Bunny From Hell story is probably my worst one to date. Seriously, y'all, this sucks. It sucks big green mossy rocks. Boulders, really. Suckety suck suck suck.

That being said, at least I know there's a problem. Knowing there's a problem is the first step on the road to fixing that problem. I also know I have a problem with description in this story, and there's one particular feature I need to put on the bunny that I'm having a hard time figuring out just where.

Writing is easy. Editing is hard. Especially when that editing consists of ... rewriting. Argh.

Comments

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

Too true. I'm sure you've done this, but check out an author you admire's death scenes. Try to figure out what makes them effective. I think usually it has to do with how much work you've put in before getting the reader to care about the character dying.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

I haven't actually done that, but for me I know I have to add emotion to the scene, whether it's fear, sorrow, etc. I'm an emotionally stunted person, so adding that emotion is hard for me, and I walk a fine line between "not enough" and "way WAY too much." I don't want it to descend into melodrama territory, after all.

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

As a fellow emotionally stunted person I'm right there with you.