Open Novella Journal

1/28/209 - Wings of Home (Ch1)

Why did I kill off an LGBT character in the first chapter of the story despite me knowing how said character's sudden death was met with among fandom when it came to the canon material?

I've got to admit in some ways the answer lies in shock value. The death of Adam in the first chapter really sells home the fact the death of Shiro's comrades is in fact a very traumatic event, but not something he can simply get over. Adam's death is also something for Keith to feel guilt about, though the exact reason isn't yet touched upon. I also wanted something for Shiro - since this is now a crossover with One Day at a Time (2017) - to talk about with Elana that worries her specifically even if it occurs in a sequel.

I'm also against this idea that minority characters should be magically spared from the bad things which happen to other characters. They shouldn't die like Allura did with no real good reason mind you, but when they die it needs to be significant within the plot and it needs to be something which really pulls at the heartstrings of the reader. One of the issues with Adam's death was he was there during one negative moment and then gone, but one could very easily write him out and pretend he never existed.

I've also wanted for some time a story which I could focus on Adam's death and Adam in some manner which bringing in his character and/or his death wouldn't detract from the story. Since I mostly write stories which focus on the family in many cases the addition would feel more like simply having a token minority rather than a character there for a reason. Quite a bit of the story I am hoping will involve Adam despite him not being in the story.