EXERCISE: Where's the Teacher?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 20 January 2009

Now there's an interesting little exercise. Here's your starting scene.

"It is the start of a new school year and [fill in the name] is entering fifth grade. The first day of school brings with it suspense: Who's in my class? Who will the teacher be?"

"The kids are assembled, but, mysteriously, the teacher doesn't show. Why?"

There you go. Take it from the kids' point of view, think about what might have happened to the teacher. How do they find out? How do they respond?

And go on from there.
Write!

[taken from a news column about a children's book http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20090107a1.html ]

TECH: Sticky Endings?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 26 January 2009

Resonating Endings

Writers Digest, December 2005, Fiction Essentials column by James Scott Bell has the title, "Leave Them with Hope." He's focusing on how to make the finish memorable, something that resonates with your readers. He admits to writing a good conclusion is hard, but also crucial. Endings need to tie up loose threads, answer this significant story questions, and be satisfying.

"The best endings do something more than give closure. They leave us with resonance. They produce the right emotional notes on that final page. Just as a patron of a great symphony says, 'Ah!' when a musical piece is over, a reader will do the same with a memorable finale."

So how do you create resonance? One of the best, time-honored ways is with a hopeful conclusion, an optimistic finish. To create that kind of an ending, try this:

• dig into your character's inner thoughts. Write down what your character is thinking as the story climaxes. Get that inner monologue in his or her own words.
• then feel your character's emotions. What are they feeling at this point?
• write at least two pages of potential ending material. Then revise it down to a few key paragraphs that are the perfect ending.
• read your final paragraphs out loud, listening to how they sound

You'll probably end up with a kind of lyrical ending. This only works if it feels organic, and fits the work. So what do you do if you want simple imagery instead? Try this:

• summarize the key relationships of your characters. Which is the most important one to your lead character? Why is this the most important one? And how has your character's life and his relationship changed for the better?
• list several images that convey a feeling of the relationship. Symbol, action, place -- whatever fits for you. Now pick the one that creates the best emotion.
• write up several potential endings using this image. Freewrite about it. Then condense your work. Show off the image.
• go back into the book and foreshadow and plant the image. Connect the characters to it emotionally.

You want your conclusion to impress your readers. Make it a hopeful one, that satisfies your readers. And listen for the "Ah!"

Okay. Next step, what kind of an exercise could you use? Well, the obvious thing is to take your work in progress and try the steps to create a lyrical ending, or an image-filled one. Go ahead, give it a try.

Another tactic would be to take a couple of novels that you really liked, and look hard at how they end. What did the writer do for an ending? Does it fit Bell's model? Can you imagine going through the process that Bell describes and creating such an ending?

'saright? See if you can make your ending resonate.

(doing the minuet waltz?)