"The one thing that a character
absolutely must do is carry the story
along; characters have to bear some of
the burden of the story moving
forward. So if I have a character who
isn't working out, or is becoming dull,
or is just waltzing around in the
background, I usually kill him. I don't
fall in love with them. They are there to
work; they have to earn their keep. If
they don't work, if they don't do their
job then they're gone."
absolutely must do is carry the story
along; characters have to bear some of
the burden of the story moving
forward. So if I have a character who
isn't working out, or is becoming dull,
or is just waltzing around in the
background, I usually kill him. I don't
fall in love with them. They are there to
work; they have to earn their keep. If
they don't work, if they don't do their
job then they're gone."
Annie Proulx