George R.R. Martin is famous for killing his beloved fictional characters. When he feels the need for a secondary character to go in his epic Game of Thrones series, he creates a dramatic episode that will end that character. The death of his characters are often quick, but in a manner in which the moment lingers in the minds of readers. That character's death serves as a device for the story's continuation.

When a supporting character dies, the writer should avoid prolonged tributes of lengthy eulogies and descriptive funeral rites. While such scenes create a solemn effect, too much of it can drag pacing, and the dramatic intensity gets dragged as well — such prolonged scenes stuff your plot with unnecessary information. Any death from supporting characters should be justified, and it must provide further development to the plot. The summary of a supporting character's life must be carefully contained in his death scene. Give him the rightful tribute that is enough to send a message to the reader that the character is gone, but not forgotten. Remember: The death must heighten plot development. The writer must never kill a character merely to pander to the reader's emotional faculties.

I once made the mistake of ornately writing about the burial ceremony of a secondary character who was a war veteran:

The flag on top of Laurel's coffin had been folded and turned over to Laurel's eldest son. Within minutes, people stayed at the fresh grave in silence and meditation. One by one, the crowd thinned until only Maravilla, Soliman, Jacobo, and Matunding, along with their families, stood in front of Laurel's grave. Across Maravilla, Matunding had stopped weeping, but her eyes have become swollen as if they had no more tears left. She held her white handkerchief close to her cheek. All that time, she didn't take her eyes from Laurel's grave that was filled with flowers from the wake. The drizzle stopped. Umbrellas were unfolded as a caravan taxi drove near the burial site. "We're dropping like flies, and we still haven't tasted the compensation the U.S. promised," Maravilla said, staring at Laurel's grave.

I found this scene appealing in its melodramatic aura. Reading the whole chapter, I came to realize that such a scene was a venue for my overblown writing. I dumped some profound ideas on an episode that lent no relevance to the body of the chapter. If there is anything I learned from this mistake, and by reading books on the craft of fiction, is that grand funeral or burial scenes should be reserved for the main protagonist.

The death of supporting characters must happen quickly and be a catalyst to drive further development to the plot and more direction for the main character. The end of supporting characters should also help to amplify motivations of surviving characters. The writer, however, must do away with clichés, specifically of using the death of a secondary character as justification for the hero's revenge—it has been 'done to death.'