They're Not Going To Die

So I've heard that writing a story in first person removes some of the tension of a story because as an audience, we know that the narrator doesn't die. We at least know that they live until the time that they are telling the story. I've also heard that argument for other characters than the viewpoint character. If we know they survive, then we can't be afraid for them.

The idea is this. We can't be afraid for someone that we know is safe. The stakes are not high enough. The danger isn't real. I've heard some people even go so far as to say that it destroys any possibility for tension in the story.

So, letting the audience know that someone lives through an event can weaken the tension in a story.

I hear that advice, and I've given it before. But I'd like to offer a few counter examples for consideration.

First, I have a friend. Some time after I met him I found out that he had once been stranded in a small boat on the ocean. He had gotten in the boat inside Kwajalein atoll. The ring of islands and the the landforms beneath the water kept the waters inside the atoll relatively safe. The water outside the atoll was very dangerous, and we were warned not to go out of the atoll. It was usually easy, because the islands were connected by a reef-like barrier. At low tide, you could walk between some of the islands.

But for some reason, his boat made it oceanside and he floated out to sea. He was lost.

The search and rescue operation eventually found him and he got home safely. When I heard his story, I knew he had survived. But the story was still emotionally charged for me.

Next we have stories that I've experienced over and over again. Serenety, Romeo and Juliet, Star Wars (4, 5, and 6). I already know the outcome of those stories. I already know that Romeo and Juliet die. I already know that Mal survives in Serenety. I already know that Luke defeats Darth Vader. But I still enjoy each of those stories every time I watch or read them. Why? In the case of Romeo and Juliet, I still honestly hope that they'll figure it out. Every time.

Let's be honest. There probably is some tension that I experience when I don't know if a character is going to live or die. But for me that isn't the primary draw for a story. There are plenty of bad things that can happen to a character without them dying, and in most stories we already do have a general idea of who lives and dies. In some stories it probably is better for the survival of a character to be a question. But is it always?

Is your story going to fall apart if your audience knows the ending, or will your audience enjoy reading it every single time? My personal goal is to write a story that is good enough that my audience won't care. Can I do it? Would I still try if I knew? I think so.