To Kill a Character

I’m struggling with the level of conflict in my story – It’s go big or go home, right?

But what has more impact? A betrayal or a death?

I guess the answer to that question lies in how my MC would handle either scenario, right?

I’ve been kicking around the idea of a betrayal for about two weeks now and it has stalled my writing. Then I began kicking around a betrayal/no betrayal – but that’s too predictable, yes?

Too boring, too safe.

——– ‘awe, he didn’t really betray me, all is well with the world, la la la.’ —————-

NO

Someone else must die (I already have an important player getting killed). If my MC is truly up against a devastatingly dangerous opponent, then there needs to be more destruction, more sacrifice, right?

I couldn’t decide on my own –

I flipped a coin.

I promised myself as I grabbed the coin that I would abide by whatever the coin flip dictated. No best two out of three and whatnot. Now I’m staring at a blank page as I run multiple possible death scenes through my mind. My favorite secondary character is going to die.

No backsies.