Writing Dead Characters

[deird_lj]

In this post on gabrielleabelle's LJ, I was intrigued by this snippet of conversation:

angearia - "See, I'm happy that he's back. I want Spike alive (undead) and out there causing havoc as a bad, rude man."

gabrielleabelle - "Ah, but that's what fanfic is for! I have no doubt that if Spike's arc had ended (in canon) with Chosen, fanfic writers would still be writing happy, fluffy post-series Spuffy stories. We're just creative like that. :)"


Which I found interesting, because I wouldn't be nearly as likely to write post-series Spike fic if he'd stayed dead. I just wouldn't see it the same way.

So, I have made a mini poll, to see what others think...



[Poll #1513832]


Questions? Comments?

Comments

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

I resurrected Wesley for the Rulesverse, and I'm not entirely happy with it. I was going a little AU from Chosen, NFA was less apocalyptic, it's all there if anyone wants me to justify it. But still, it's the first time I've written a 'dead' character, and all the comics blurring of the definition of death doesn't count for me.

I have ticked many annoyances, but I suspect in the end I'm not consistent. I don't like reading a post-Chosen fic in which Tara wanders through and no one comments on it, but I would happily read an AU of the same scene (the Barbverse, for example, branches off at a specific point and that's fine by me). Internal logic matters to me most.

I really don't like resurrection fics much; it often seems to me that the character would be better off dead, and that needs to be very well written to engage me (Shapinglight's The Worst Journey in the World does it well, if painfully). If you resurrect someone, though, at least let it be for a reason.