TECH: Endings (3 of 4)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting 7 April 2010

Writers Digest, August 2007, pages 83 and 84 have an article by Colleen Thompson about endings. With a sidebar by her, and a short piece by James Scott Bell about endings. And there's even an exercise about endings! So... dawdling on to part three... the sidebar!

Let's see. The sidebar talks about convincing yourself to finish. Writers stall out. Maybe it's embarrassment, failure, success, or just plain not knowing what to do next, but plenty of writers polish their early chapters or do other things instead of finishing. But...try these.

1. List the worst possible outcomes of actually finishing. Putting down your fears often helps us see whether they are realistic or not.
2. Describe the positive emotions and feelings that you expect to achieve when you complete the project. Put that list where you can see it often.
3. Break the big task into small stages. Writing 100,000 words is impossible! But writing a 1000 words, or even 2000 words? Not so hard. Or focus on the proposal -- three chapters and a synopsis. That's not so scary. Then take the synopsis and make a list of the key scenes. Do one scene at a time. Writing one scene isn't very scary.
4. Goal setting. Even if you don't have an editor imposed deadline, create one. Set some objectives, divide your project into monthly goals and then weekly targets, and make your own deadlines. Keep track of your targets and your actuals -- celebrate your successes, and don't let your occasional misses stop you -- just pick them up and keep going.

Okay? "Writers who allow fear and procrastination to derail their dreams become frustrated and unhappy. But there's another term to describe those who work each day to overcome the challenges of getting to The End. We call these brave souls authors."

TECH: Endings (4 of 4)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting 13 April 2010

Writers Digest, August 2007, pages 83 and 84 have an article by Colleen Thompson about endings. With a sidebar by her, and a short piece by James Scott Bell about endings. And there's even an exercise about endings! So... hah! The final part of our four-part series on endings. The end of the endings? And we switch authors, to James Scott Bell.

So what does James Scott Bell have to say? "Endings must wrap up your novel in a way that satisfies and surprises you should know the feeling you want to leave the reader with before you start writing. You don't have to know the details, but you do want a destination to aim for."

Then he suggests you avoid these temptations:

• Deus ex machina. Someone or something conveniently solves the main characters problem for him, out of the blue. Make sure the main character plays a significant role in the ending.
• Soliloquy. Don't depend on one long character speech in the last chapter to wrap everything up and explain it all.
• Anticlimax. Sometimes the main story finished, but for some reason the author just kept writing. When the fat lady sings, the story is over. Stop.

And how do you find an original ending?

• Brood about it. Let the story material sink into your brain and spend the time to dream up a great ending. Don't rush this.
• Create several alternative endings, then choose the best. You can even use material from one of the other endings to provide extra twists or depth for the ending you choose.
• Choose a word to describe the mood of your ending.
• Find the music that captures your mood.
• Write your ending, letting the emotions roll, making it memorable. You can always cut it back if you need to, but let yourself go!
• Edit your ending. Work to find just the right final paragraphs or images. Try for resonance -- that feeling that the story is still ringing in your reader's mind even after they've finished the words.

'saright? So... a great ending! Just like a great beginning, it takes hard work. And they're the bookends of your story. So spend the time to polish them so that the readers find the sparkle and glow attractive.