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Claudia and Soren - Kiki and Tombo

The Right Way to Torture Your Characters

As writers, we often joke about how much we enjoy “torturing” our characters. Of course, this doesn’t just mean literal, physical torture, but any of the numerous ways we make our poor characters suffer, whether they be physical, emotional, or psychological. This can include the loss of loved ones, actual injuries, or extreme levels of anxiety or angst.

In short, writers are the masters of imagined suffering.

But, there is a right and a wrong way to torture characters. And I’m not exactly speaking ethics. Character suffering can add to, or take away from, the effectiveness of your story.

Today, I’m going to lay out the differences.

The wrong way

First, let’s talk about the wrong way to torture your characters. Imagine with me that you’re reading a really good book, and you’re considerably attached to the main character. We’re going to call this character Matt.

Matt is a sweet, lovable guy who lives with his hound named Tessie. He’s a bit lonely, and has had a slew of failed relationships due to his terrible social skills and chronic inability to relate to people. But he loves that dog. He loves that dog as if she were the love of his life.

One day, Tessie dies.

She gets hit by a car. Matt accidentally lets go of the leash as she dashes out into the street, chasing a squirrel… and he notices the car too late.

Matt is devastated.

But… Tessie’s death contributes nothing to the story or plot. And in the midst of Matt’s terrible grief, he slips on the ice in front of his house and cuts open his chin on a rock. He ends up needing seven stitches.

This injury is about as random and pointless as the death of his dog.

Now, if you were reading this book, I think you’d be screaming one word: “WHY?” Why do these terrible things have to happen to poor Matt? What’s the point?

The problem here is that there is no point. That’s just it. Suffering that seems to have no purpose will accomplish nothing except frustrate the reader.

The right way

You can torture your characters as much as you like, but it’s important that you do it intentionally. Your readers will eventually feel numb and disconnected if characters suffer just to suffer. Their pain has to mean something. It has to have a purpose.

“But, how do I add purpose to my sadistic torment?” you ask, setting aside your scalpels and hot irons.

I’m glad you asked. Here are six possible purposes for character suffering: