K is for Killing - A to Z Challenge

K is for killing, particularly killing off characters. Do you get upset when a favorite character is killed off in a book? Sometimes it is necessary for the story, to motivate other characters and to keep things moving. But there are times that I mourn for these characters as if I really knew them. Come on, fess up. You know your were upset when Dumbledore died. When the series ended, and the big picture was revealed, it was shown to be a needed moment, but one that still made me sad. There are other times when these death carry a certain satisfaction, like when the evil villain or henchman dies. And there are still other times when the killing off is so necessary that it does not even register, like the start of a mystery or moment when things go from bad to worse.

The emotions these killings in stories cause are as widely varied as how they are killed. I trust the writer to lead me where they want me to go, and know that there is a reason they take the path they do. I find that if a story can make me feel anything strongly, good or bad, that it is a story worth reading. If a character killing is part of that, well I might not accept it gracefully at first, or even necessarily agree with the choices made, but I will respect the writer for the work that they have done.

When you need to write in a death of a character, or just want one to die in your story how do you handle it? Do you worry about readers being upset, or do you relish the upset it causes?