A Time to Kill

I had to kill someone the other day and I'm still feeling a little sad about it. I liked him, I really did. But he left me no choice. I saw no way out of the situation.

The decision to kill this person was hard. That seems odd considering most readers will expect someone to die in a murder mystery. Murder and mayhem are usually important plot elements. Still, I was unprepared for the grief I felt. I was so sad about killing him that when I got to the part where I had to do it, I couldn't work on the book for a week. I spent that time trying to figure out if someone else could die instead. Someone I didn't like so much. Fortunately, I killed the guy on paper. That means I can, theoretically, change my mind.

This whole thing made me stop and think what goes through a real criminal's mind. I wonder if they feel guilt about their impending actions and procrastinate doing the deed. I don't know, and I never will. I have no intention of gaining any firsthand experience with that particular subject.

Instead, I will quietly mourn the loss of my character, remembering the good times we had.