Interlude - The noble art of the Shreddie

 

Those who read these reviews on a regular basis may have noticed that I refer to Shreddies quite often when talking about horror novels. It was pointed out to me that I seem to be the only person who currently uses the phrase.

I'm not sure if I lifted it from some other source many years ago and it's now just part of my lexicography, or if I did decide that horror needs its own phrase to describe what sci-fi calls the Redshirts- characters who serve no purpose to the plot but to die horribly- and decided that Shreddies was the word we needed.

James Herbert's early novels were classic examples of how to use shreddies.

There are rules for a good shreddie. 

1- Their death should in no way drive the plot. 

2- They should not have any connection to the lead characters. 

3- They should only appear in one chapter. This chapter should be ten to fifteen pages maximum and let us get to know them and their dreams for the future before the big bad rips them to shreds

4- Their death should be DRAMATIC. These are basically chapters to demonstrate the strength of the big bad without having to dispose of a valued member of your central cast. Make these deaths make you scared for what could happen to the people we're supposed to care about.

5- When you have the shreddies template set up in your books, you can pull a bait and switch if you're skillful enough- a chapter where the character we follow and expect to die actually just witnesses the true shreddie being slaughtered at the end of the chapter. Herbert does this in Domain where we're introduced to a flasher and fully expect him to die, but instead he witnesses one of the early deaths. He appears later on as comic relief. It made for a nice twist on the usual format.

A shreddie chapter is basically a short story about a totally unconnected character and could theoretically be removed from the book without damaging the storyline in the slightest. When skillfully written, they provide the additional body count necessary to make a fun gore novel without having to traumatise your lead characters early by killing off their friends and loved ones.

It should be possible to excise without altering the plot, but too entertaining for the editor to want to do that. 

It also adds to your page count if your central story is running a little short.

Points to note.

The lead character's spouse/loved one who dies to spark a revenge storyline is not a shreddie. 

The character who dies as collateral damage in a chapter where the MC is running from danger is not a shreddie. 

If they have no name or background, they are not shreddies (unless it's the bait and switch shreddie from point 5 above).

The villain's henchmen sent to die at the hands of the hero are not shreddies.

The lead character is possibly allowed to learn about the shreddie's death in the news on TV or newspaper, but this should normally be an incidental detail. Theoretically the MC could make deductions derived from the news reports and their own experiences up to this point. this is the maximum that they can impact on the story.

What not to do- 

Bring them in in several dedicated chapters before killing them. Dogs by Robert Calder did that and it still makes me angry 18 months later. If removing a shreddie means excising a third of the book, and they still never met or interacted with your MCs even indirectly, and their deaths have no impact on the story - YOU DID IT WRONG.