Ah, the joys of character development. Sometimes, in the midst of writing, you realize that a minor character needs a little...reworking. Originally, I had a character that fell squarely into the
"this guy is a pig and needs to die"
You know, the kind of character who's so loathsome that you start cheering for his demise halfway through his introduction.
But then, I thought, why not give this guy a little more depth? Maybe there's more to his story than just being the human equivalent of a greasy pit stain.
The New and (Slightly) Improved Character
After much deliberation, I settled on a new angle.
“Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances beyond his control, an ill-mannered human male perishes. No one weeps.”
Yes, it's still a bit bleak, but hear me out.
The Circumstances Beyond His Control
By attributing his demise to circumstances beyond his control, we add a dash of tragedy to his story. It's not that he's a complete pig by choice; maybe life just dealt him a bad hand. Maybe he missed out on all the good stuff, like common decency and basic hygiene, because of these unfortunate circumstances. Suddenly, he's not just a villain, but a victim of life's random cruelties.
Let's not sugarcoat it — he's still ill-mannered. Some habits die hard, or in this case, don't die soon enough. His manners (or lack thereof) are a critical part of his charm (or lack thereof). But this ill-mannered behavior now has context to me as the author. He's rude, but maybe there's a reason, buried somewhere deep (deep, deep) within his psyche.
No One Weeps
The final touch: “No one weeps.” It's dark, it's funny, and it's honest. Sometimes, people leave the world without making a significant positive impact, and that's okay. Not every story needs a hero. Sometimes, we need a reminder of what not to be. His passing is noted, but not mourned, and life moves on.
Finding Balance
Reworking this character from a one-dimensional pig to a slightly more nuanced ill-mannered human male has been a fun exercise in finding balance. It's a reminder that even the most minor characters can benefit from a little extra thought and creativity. By giving him a touch of tragic backstory and maintaining his unlikable traits, he becomes a more interesting - and arguably more memorable - part of the story, even if my goal as the author is to not address the aftermath of his death, becuase I'm lazy and don't want to;
So, next time you're tempted to write off a character as a simple villain or general turd-burger, consider giving them a bit more depth. Who knows? You might end up with a character who's turns out not only to be someone worth killing off, but you like doing it even more after creating more depth in your head.