--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve always hated it when authors seem to…" description: "\"“I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In killing my favorite characters. With gleaming eyes they toy With turmoil in every chapter. Just ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/justin-wetch-10425_books_i-ve-always-hated-it-when-authors-seem-t_81139.jpg" --- # I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In… ![“I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In killing my favorite characters. With gleaming eyes they toy With turmoil in every chapter. Just when they’ve got you attached To the character’s quirks and flaws To their words and their demons Just when you’ve fallen in love With the…” quote by Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/justin-wetch-10425_books_i-ve-always-hated-it-when-authors-seem-t_81139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/justin-wetch-10425_books_i-ve-always-hated-it-when-authors-seem-t_81139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/justin-wetch-10425_books_i-ve-always-hated-it-when-authors-seem-t_81139.jpg) > ““I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In killing my favorite characters. With gleaming eyes they toy With turmoil in every chapter. Just when they’ve got you attached To the character’s quirks and flaws To their words and their demons Just when you’ve fallen in love With the character’s identity— With a cruel turn of the lip The author smirks and kills them off And at our gasped pleas, merely scoffs. But the author was God And my favorite character was you And I still can’t believe You’re gone.”” [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote laments how authors sometimes derive pleasure from killing beloved characters, highlighting readers' emotional investment and sense of betrayal when a cherished figure is abruptly removed. **In simple terms:** Readers feel betrayed when favorite characters die. Key Takeaway Authorial control can clash with audience attachment. Themes betrayal authorial power character attachment narrative surprise emotional manipulation Mood melancholy frustration nostalgia Type lament reflection critique When to use this quote - reading a novel series - following a TV show - engaging with a comic saga - playing a role‑playing game - watching a film franchise Key Concepts character development reader empathy storytelling ethics Practical Applications - critical analysis of narrative choices - discussions on author‑reader contracts Questions to Reflect On - Why do creators sometimes choose to kill off popular characters? - How does character death affect a story's impact? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark-poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-poetry/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) ## Related quotes > [“Our favorite games were killing. Our favorite books were death. It had been beaten into us: God is love. Not the parched face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bathanti/our-favorite-games-were-killing-our-favorite-books-were-death-it-had/) Joseph Bathanti > [The joy of killing! the joy of seeing killing done - these are traits of the human race at large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-joy-of-killing-the-joy-of-seeing-killing-done-these-are-traits-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The stars stare back In that deep, Soul-shattering blackness And from the depths of existence Comes a cruel, icy wind Raising the hairs On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/the-stars-stare-back-in-that-deep-soul-shattering-blackness-and-from/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“In vain I try to jump into the photo To create again a time so simple That a piece of paper might encapsulate it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/in-vain-i-try-to-jump-into-the-photo-to-create-again-a-time-so-simple/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“We are a handful of dust in God’s image Before we return again to dusty grave Life isn’t a war, it’s a scrimmage A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/we-are-a-handful-of-dust-in-god-s-image-before-we-return-again-to/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“I look up upon a sparsely starred abyss Having wandered to this street corner In the middle of the night Watching the cars and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-look-up-upon-a-sparsely-starred-abyss-having-wandered-to-this/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“These colorful polaroids Are like magical portals Leading to places, emotions, and people Who had slipped into the midst of the forgotten, Into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/these-colorful-polaroids-are-like-magical-portals-leading-to-places/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Love is the poetry of the stars The wind is the breath of the earth To never become who you are Or to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/love-is-the-poetry-of-the-stars-the-wind-is-the-breath-of-the-earth/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Time is the cruelest of physicians, healing All wounds, but always slowly, looping A surgical needle through the mind’s flesh, experiencing Torment again over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/time-is-the-cruelest-of-physicians-healing-all-wounds-but-always/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Real life is just another stage. Just another stage where I have to look and act Like I have everything put together; everything neat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/real-life-is-just-another-stage-just-another-stage-where-i-have-to/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Pressure knocks at my door A clock ticks and demands its due The lava burns from the floor But not in a game like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/pressure-knocks-at-my-door-a-clock-ticks-and-demands-its-due-the-lava/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“This piece of inked paper stands a colossus A monument to a string of moments once dear; The only surviving testament to a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/this-piece-of-inked-paper-stands-a-colossus-a-monument-to-a-string-of/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Sleepless nights Spent looking at the ceiling Searching in those etched patterns For some sort of adhesive To glue together the broken pieces Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/sleepless-nights-spent-looking-at-the-ceiling-searching-in-those/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“I often wonder and imagine What lies just beyond the fringe Of the human experience; What is it that we do not see?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-often-wonder-and-imagine-what-lies-just-beyond-the-fringe-of-the/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“What a cruel irony it is, that we get to choose our thoughts but not our feelings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/what-a-cruel-irony-it-is-that-we-get-to-choose-our-thoughts-but-not/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) ## More by Justin Wetch > [“Love is dead And we are each to blame When we took lighters over wild flame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/love-is-dead-and-we-are-each-to-blame-when-we-took-lighters-over-wild/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“At least I find solace in searching.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/at-least-i-find-solace-in-searching/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“There are seven billion faces smiling in as many ways But if I don’t see yours, I consider it a wasted day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/there-are-seven-billion-faces-smiling-in-as-many-ways-but-if-i-don-t/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“I don’t want safety or guarantees— I want a life worth living. I want to jump off a skyscraper And fashion a parachute on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-don-t-want-safety-or-guarantees-i-want-a-life-worth-living-i-want/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“As artists, we create the beauty We are too afraid to live out And search, but always fall just shy Of finding what life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/as-artists-we-create-the-beauty-we-are-too-afraid-to-live-out-and/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Society is a vicious rubber stamp Labelling and assigning camps But love is an illuminating lamp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/society-is-a-vicious-rubber-stamp-labelling-and-assigning-camps-but/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Fate is the cruelest of masters, taking Life when it pleases or at random, handing Rigged decks to whom it pleases, cheating All alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/fate-is-the-cruelest-of-masters-taking-life-when-it-pleases-or-at/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“The pulpit is beautifully furnished and bright But it's rotted in places not seen by the light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/the-pulpit-is-beautifully-furnished-and-bright-but-it-s-rotted-in/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“The rays of sun spilled Like coffee into a pot Gently, warmly flowing Almost as an afterthought. The morning dew melted to vapor Rising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/the-rays-of-sun-spilled-like-coffee-into-a-pot-gently-warmly-flowing/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Love is just two people Plastering perfect masks On each others’ faces; And it only lasts Until the masks crack And the fantasy ends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/love-is-just-two-people-plastering-perfect-masks-on-each-others-faces/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“You brought me to places I’d have never thought to go To a trail near the river Where the water runs slow; To a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/you-brought-me-to-places-i-d-have-never-thought-to-go-to-a-trail-near/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“I remember sitting in bed, as a child looking up at the ceiling I couldn’t sleep, of course, And so set about to thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-remember-sitting-in-bed-as-a-child-looking-up-at-the-ceiling-i/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“Forgive often and completely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/forgive-often-and-completely/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“My past self would've hated who I am today And I still feel that hatred in the parts of him that stayed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/my-past-self-would-ve-hated-who-i-am-today-and-i-still-feel-that/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“I often wonder and imagine What lies just beyond the fringe Of the human experience; What is it that we do not see?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-often-wonder-and-imagine-what-lies-just-beyond-the-fringe-of-the/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) [Explore all 65 Justin Wetch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In killing my favorite characters. With gleaming eyes they toy With turmoil in every chapter. Just when they’ve got you attached To the character’s quirks and flaws To their words and their demons Just when you’ve fallen in love With the character’s identity— With a cruel turn of the lip The author smirks and kills them off And at our gasped pleas, merely scoffs. 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