What should I do?

[MrsMcDowell]

I'm in the third book of my series, but I'm having trouble making decisions. See, in the first book, my MC dies, but the afterlife powers that be made a mistake, so they send her back. Only, they force her to stay dead to everyone else. So her parents and best friend think she's dead.

In the third book, she finds out that her best friend is going to commit suicide, and she wants to help, but she can't reveal that she's still alive. So, she "borrows" a body and hangs out with her best friend like old times. But then, the best friend finds out and freaks because a demon guy tells her that if she sacrifices herself, the MC will live again.

So, my question is, should I kill off the best friend? Something inside me thinks it might not be okay. I could potentially make it so that her soul goes into another body somehow so she kind of stays alive, but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?

[Nina]

*cough* when worrying about killing off someone I say GAME OF THRONES, GAME OF THRONES, GAME OF THRONES. HAHA! Write it out and see what works.

[MrsMcDowell]

  Something tells me I don't want to kill her off. Like, it'd be too depressing or something!

 

Just wanted an excuse to use the Kool-Aid guy.

[archetype]

I'd try writing it whichever way feels more right (flip a coin if you absolutely can't decide), and if you just can't get the other approach out of your head, write it the other way. You'll like one more than the other after you do some writing, I think. Or you may discover that one approach just flows easily and the other is a struggle to get out, which should also tell you something.

[bodwen]

Try it both ways.  Odds are you just feel squeamish about it since you're too emotionally invested.  But once it's written and out of the way, you'll be more objective about it.

[Mere Joyce]

And if you don't want to write both scenes out completely, try to visualize how each scene would shape the rest of the book.  If you've really got a feeling that you don't want to kill the character off, then perhaps you should stick with your instinct.  But if you think logically about the plot with the best friend both dying and not dying, you might have a better understanding of whether you truly want the friend alive, or, as bodwen suggested, you're just emotionally invested and will be okay once you work out how to move on.

[Tigerbunny]

Trick the demon into believing she's dead?

[MrsMcDowell]

Amazing suggestions, everyone!

I think I'm going to write it both ways and see which seems to flow more naturally. However, I think the best friend has to die. It just makes more sense and goes with the overall feeling of the world I've created!