Death and
storytelling; using the seven stages of grief
Often the most dramatic scenes come out of some of the most
painful emotions. Dealing with the death of a character is just as hard on the
author as it is on the reader.
Depending on which model you're using, there are either five
or seven stages of grief a person goes through when dealing with death. As you
write scenes where a death is discovered, remember the steps and incorporate
them into your characters. Below are the steps for both models.
The five stages of grief (Kubler-Ross)
1. Denial: The
initial stage: "It can't be happening."
2. Anger: "Why
me? It's not fair."
3. Bargaining:
"Just let me live to see my children graduate."
4. Depression:
"I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
5. Acceptance:
"It's going to be OK."
The seven stages of grief: (unnamed model)
1) Shock or disbelief (numbness, struggle to understand)
2) Denial
3) Bargaining
4) Guilt (what did I do to cause this? 0r "I feel bad
because I didn't like him anyway.")
5) Anger
6) Depression
7) Acceptance/hope.
"In addition to the emotional pain already discussed,
symptoms of grief can be physical, social, or religious in nature."
Keep in mind, these stages work with other major changes or
shifts in life as well. Understanding the psychology of real-life humans helps
to create honest and real characters we can all relate to.
Activity
Write (or rewrite) a scene where your protagonist goes
through several of the stages of grief (either model). If you’re willing, post
your scene in the comments to share.
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