I have warned people if it's particularly gross... I've killed off quite a few characters in various stories and sometimes have gone into graphic detail so those types I'll warn about. When I do warn though, it's at that particular chapter and those chapters don't have much more going on so if people do skip it they don't miss much of the actual storyline.

1) No, you don't have to. One question, have you seen any real book author warns about character's death? Unless it's a flashback, it's a different thing. You're (kinda) the boss of your story. Write it however you want, as long as it makes sense.
2) I think character's death is just fine by as long as it fits with the storyline. Don't kill the character without any explanation.
3) I've never written any story that kills the character in the middle of the story (from what I remember XD). However, I did write a story in flashback style. At the first chapter, I'd stated that this character (Taemin) committed suicide and his boyfriend (Minho) regretted his actions before Taemin's demise. Basically, the story is in a flashback manner and people should immediately understand that. I even put the suicide tag, so no one has the right to complain XD.

I personally haven't warned people at the start of a fic (especially if it's got "gangs" in the tags). I've been on a number of writing sites and this is literally the only one that I've ever seen people putting in warnings for character death.
I've killed off (quite major) characters in more than one of my fics, but nobody ever expressed disappointment. They were upset that the characters died, but they also saw that it made sense in the setting and that it would have been ridiculous and unrealistic for all the characters to survive. With the most recent one, I actually had comments that the death in question was actually satisfactory and they understood why I'd put it there and, in retrospect, how there had been a lot of build up towards it and that it wouldn't really have worked any other way.


If it's logical in the story and works rather than being or feeling gimmicky, your readers won't begrudge you it happening. They'll be upset, possibly shocked, especially if it's a character they liked, but as long as they don't feel like you're throwing the death artificially to tug at their heartstrings and the characters respond to it realistically, it should be fine.

the only thing that bothered me abt writing character death is the thought that i killed people who are alive in real world n that kinda made me uncomfortable but hey...it's fiction...just that it's kinda tricky since it's fanfiction' and the characters often are directly referred to actual living people...but...it didn't stop me from my love for character death lol. i mean...when it feels right for the story of course...

- frankly, i don't think you need to warn them at all, it's not like all stories by default guarantee happy endings or no deaths or anything. besides, it's not like it's your main characters. Even if it is, i still don't feel that need to warn them...but if you feel bad about it, you can always foreshadow it subtly so that the shock won't be too great. well, personally i love surprises so i don't feel the need for that foreshadowing anyway but that's just me lol. Isn't death something that are usually shocking anyway? :p
- personally, i like it. especially if it fits well with the buildup of the story/plot/characters, or add stake or suspense or any impact to the plot, create plot twist or conflict and instigate character growth and not just added for the sake of it...besides, death is something that exist and cannot be avoided in reality, despite fanfics being fiction, if the characters are normal living things like human/animals, death is still in their nature, so why the big fuss over it? i like character death for that dramatic tension or that deep feeling it left my characters with(and supposedly readers) n i like how death humanize my characters and my fictional world.
- I did this character death in a romance fic where the pairing spent the whole fic trying to get over their issues n denying their feelings and always have this wall separating them because they're such lonely souls in their own ways and just as they're about to finally find that confidence to confirm their feelings, one of them died abruptly by road accident after a misunderstanding. because i didn't have that many readers and mostly were really nice people, they didn't throw rocks at me...n still gave nice words. I knew i tortured the characters bad...but idk...i feel that kind of sad ending gave much more of an impact to the story and actually matched with the overall tone of the fic than a happily ever after ending. and another time...the story involved a devil with a mission to get to heaven through human sacrifices...so it'd be inevitable to have deaths, and it'd be lame if everyone come out untouched, in that kind of setting, i feel my readers should've been prepared for character deaths when they decide to board on the journey...of course everytime i make character deaths there'd be unhappy readers...but hey, i can't help it....every great writer's advice i've seen is to 'write for yourself'...so i had to do what i want...haa...n for this second fic i mentioned, i had a lot of unsubscribers...but it happen every chapter n i feel it's unrelated to the character death itself(though i'd never know...those were silent readers who never want to give feedback anyway)...so i'm not really bothered abt the character death parts.

I think character death really just needs to be well delivered for it to have an impact (and I do believe that character death should be either for the plot or the emotional impact. Mostly the plot). If it's well written, well integrated and makes sense, it's fine. It really depends on how you do it. I've cried over a villian's death before and I've stayed emotionless over the main character's. But good luck!

Okay, I haven't read a lot on here in a while, it's been even longer since I've actually written anything on here, but this is an interesting topic to me. I personally feel that character death is not a big deal, quite simply because it's all fictional. I've one one-shot in which death is a thing, even if the actual dying is not described in much detail, and I don't think it was a lot of disappointment from readers. As to feedback I've received on it, most of it was just disbelief and a continuous 'DID YOU KILL WENDY?' (because yes, it is the idol I have killed), and people wanting me to update them on the story.
Character death to me is just a part of life. If George R R Martin kept all characters alive in 'A song of ice and fire' or if J K Rowling kept all characters alive in the battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the deathly hallows, these books would have been a lot less impactful. Death in stories might help the story along, and it seems to serve a greater purpose in your story from what I can see, so if I were you I'd just simply go for it. If people unsub because they feel it wasn't necessary, they're just missing out on a story. Gang scenes often go hand-in-hand with death, if anything they should have expected the possibility of death in the first place.
And if you choose to kill off the character, please /please/ do NOT warn your readers in advance. As you've mentioned yourself, it's a major buzzkill, simply because the suspense vanishes. Just keep from revealing too much information, just write it the way you would as if you were writing it for yourself, rather than a group of faceless people on the internet.
If you have any more questions on the subject matter, please don't hesitate to come to me ^^. I'll be glad to help you!

I personally feel that character deaths leave a long-lasting impact on readers. The theme of death allows for a pressing sense of urgency; of knowing that it's very possible for other (likable) characters to be served the same fate.

- I don't think there's a need to put a warning for one at the start of your story. If you execute everything properly and as planned, the readers will probably keep enjoying how the story's going.
- I personally encourage the idea of character deaths. I think I just like the realism aspect of it. That no one's immortal, and that rash decisions can actually have an impact on your characters, making them relatable to ourselves in a lot of ways.

i personally think it's okay to have character death, even if it's the idol, main character, or one of the couple. maybe it's not 'well received', like 'you're so cruel authornim, how could you make him dead!' but it's part of the story! (sometimes i do comment something like that too if the scene is angsty) and you should not let something like that refrain you for making a good story, if it's needed that do it! most of people, well at least me, comment like that just as normal reaction of someone's death..
and no, don't warn people about the plot, i actually don't like early warnings about plot, unless it's needed like a M rated chapter (maybe some people doesn't like it, right), but i don't think death is included in the exception list, and she's not the idol, on top of that. i don't think she'd matter that much for the reader. and as long as the reader's fave idol is still on the story i don't think sub lost will happen..

1. No. Don't need to warn to your readers. It will give the feeling of excitement and anticipation. Plot twists are damn flawsome in a story, I like it a lot.

2. I think character death is just okay. I like it in every genre. I read one Kaistal fic and there's character death. Although I felt kind of "AWWWW BUT WHYYYYY" but I think that it was beautiful, wonderful. The story was really good.

3. I have never experience this. But if I am that 'reader' , I will not unsubscribe it. I want to show my appreciation to the writer that I love the story, even though the character death is kind of sad.

In a conclusion, just write in your way that you like since it's your story :)

1. I do not think it would be a good idea to warn people. This is because it would end up giving a way an important detail that can end up making the whole story predictable. Like for example, if I were Shakespeare's writing 'Romeo and Juliet' I wouldn't write on the front page HE IS GOING TO DIE because it simply ends up taking all type of...excitement or expectation that the reader is supposed to have when beginning a story. Also, warnings take away the whole purpose of 'plot twists'.

2. Character death is a huge literary tool. It can either make the story become better or make it boring. The way you use it depends on many factors but i'd say that you should do it. It is your story: you are the owner of it and the ones that like it will continue reading and the ones that don't won't. I hate it when authors ask for reader's opinions because...it is your creation, your masterpiece!! Go ahead and do what you think is best!

3. I had an old account with a bunch of oneshots and I ended one with the main character dying. I didn't loose subs but I did face comments such as, 'WHY?!?!! That makes the whole story ' but...the thing is...they read it...and they probably continued reading to see where I was going with it. Death doesn't just end the character's life but it also should continue with the characters surrounding the one that has died.

I'd say, don't worry much and do what you want with your fic. At the end, it is yours and you are free to write it however you want ;)

I write quite a big deal of character death and I hate warning about it because it completely ruins the story. So I don't do it. I suppose it can set some people off but I feel like earning about major character death is spoiling the entire story. So no.
I love character death, tho. Both as a reader and a writer. As long as the death makes sense in the story then I'm all up for it. If it's a drama death, then don't. (I know yours aren't - just, general opinion.)
Most of my readers expressed surprise in the comments. Most of them expressed tears as well. But I don't think I had a lot of unsubs. (I mean the story is subs only so it's inevitable and I don't count). But actually, it was more "I didn't expect that and it's so very sad but it fits the story so well and made it so chilling so even though the ending was so sad it couldn't have been any different." Write your deaths well and people will most likely be able to reasonably see why it had to happen, even if it's sad. And it's not even your main, so I really don't think you have to fear a huge amount of backlash. ^^

- No. It's your story and you decide what to do with it. I would get turned off if an author warned me about it because it just breaks all the building up altogether. What's the point of reading if I already know what's going to happen?
- Character death is used very commonly as a tool for a pity party, just slipped in for the angst and that is terrible. Like any other elements, character death should be used when it is relevant and necessary to the plotline (much like ) or when it is used to depict characterization.
- I don't write character death too often. I think I've only written it once(?) and it's the death of a main. No subs lost. Just people expressing their sympathy in the comments. Like I mentioned earlier, if it's done well and used to your advantage, it can be a very powerful tool to your story.
Baseline, it's your story and no one else should be able to decide for you.

For my oneshots or twoshots (which are the only writings in which I include character death, leaving me unsure if this opinion is relevant) I tend to leave out any warnings of death but I do leave the m for mature setting on, which I think serves as a good enough warning for that type of content. I ended up getting a lot of positive comments about the story overall instead of just focusing on that one characters death, though people said things like "I cried so much omgg", and the sub shouldn't drop because of the death of a side character I think. It depends on how well it goes with the story in my opinion. As for my experience with it, I anticipate the emotional reaction from it but as a reader, I just end up getting a little sad but I always continue the fic :-)

Warning :Major Character Death?
Some writers do that actually.

I'm totally cool with Major Character Death.
just do what makes you happy :)

I have several stories in another site which I do kill off a character. I personally think its better you do not warn anyone, I know it's harsh for some readers but that's what makes a story interesting and unique.

I didn't warn the deaths, rather using foreshadowing their deaths instead.
If the death is a necessity, not purely for shock value. I say do it.
Some find it sad, but understood the story. No disappointment encountered so far.

Thanks enter button. That all being said, if not used for just drama, character death is a fantastic tool for plotpoints and should be used properly. I had a fic on an old site where I clearly warned of character death since the plot was the process of death for the main character, and I lost tons of subs when I finally killed her off. But I don't really care, your fic, do what you want, you know?

I think you should generally warn that there will be a character death at some point, but no need to say who it might be and whether they're a main or supporting cast. If I'm not warned beforehand (And even if I see the hints and vehemently deny the foreshadowing) then I personally get physical pain. :'') I'm horribly empathetic, so I feel everything the characters do and it's just a bad time.

Personally, I don't think you should warn readers about the character death. You're right. It does lose the suspense and the angst once readers know that your character will die. Instead, I suggest you could provide hints throughout the story or a foreshadowing, so your readers can't really say that you just threw in that character death without any warning.
I'm fine with character death, as long as it moves the story forward rather than being an element to add more angst or shock to your story. I only find character deaths distasteful when it's only there to add drama rather than develop the plot or the characters.
I've only done character deaths for fics on other sites. There wasn't any disappointment, just shock and readers going "Nooooo." If anyone unsubscribes to your story, don't take it to heart. Write what interests you and develops your plot. Don't fear the opinions of your readers. If you know that the death will serve your story well, I have a feeling it will translate to your readers. Good luck!

DONT TELL ANY1!!!
A few fics of mine
mainly angst
have a little
but no one shud know
just say that it can b tragic
not that
there will b sum1 who dies
all the best 4 ur fic
NO DISAPPOINTMENT
I SWEAR, IT IS NOT DISAPPOINTING
But
angst stories fare less than those of Comedy