First of all, I want to thank the folks at Writer’s Digest for putting this blog in their list of 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2012. It’s much appreciated.
Today I thought I’d kick around the topic of endings again…since they’re my nemesis and I’m dealing with them now. :) Beginnings are something that I have absolutely no problem with. I almost always open with dialogue that deals with a problem resulting from the mystery or the future victim.
But endings drive me a little crazy. I’m turning in a manuscript in May and I’m done with it so I thought I’d give it a couple of days to just marinate while I worked on my next project.
I decided I wasn’t crazy about my ending for the book. It ended on a bit of a down-note. I didn’t think that would be very popular with my readers since I always end on an up-note. I have, for the first time, put in a series subplot and it was the subplot that created this down ending.
I’ve got to be vague here since obviously this isn’t a book that’s even going to hit the shelves until spring 2013. Basically, I wanted to keep the ending for the subplot, but I wanted to extend the book’s ending so that there’s something positive happening at the end of the book (and so readers will want to read book three!)
What I did was to make some lists…my favorite way to work through plot problems or to generate plot ideas. To come up with an alternate/extended ending I:
Made a list of as many possible endings for the book that I could come up with. These ranged from the sublime to the completely ridiculous. The idea was just to come up with options and to get my creative juices going. No, aliens are not going to come down and take up the citizens of Dappled Hills in their spaceship. Brainstorm as many as you can, even if you get an idea that you like. Especially if you get an idea that you like, because you may find that you can come up with an even better one.
Took another look at various subplots in my story while brainstorming my list. One of my subplots involved membership for the protagonist’s quilting guild, for instance. Another involved a newcomer trying to fit in to the cliquey small town. I realized I could combine the two subplots to create an ending that would also lead into the next book in the series.
Brainstormed ways to connect to the theme of the book. I’ve got a couple of different themes running in the series—as basic as quilting and the fabric of friendship and as complex as adjusting to life changes and aging. It’s always a good idea to check back with your themes and look for tie-ins at the end.
Those are what works for me and for my genre. But for other books, I’ve seen writers plant doubt, hint at future conflict, and create a change through a secondary character and his interaction with the protagonist.
Do you have a tough time with endings? How do you create resolution at the end of your story?
Elizabeth, congrats on the Writer’s Digest award–that’s quite a well-deserved honor! Of course, if I were compiling the list, you’d be Number 1!
Congrats, Elizabeth. You so deserve to be on that list. And I’ll have to let you know about endings because I’m writing my first novel.
Karen
Congrats on the Writers Digest award! This blog has always been a great resource for me.
I’m having this problem with my ending in my WIP too. I know how things should end but it doesn’t feel “big” enough yet. Maybe brainstorming all the possibilities after this next pass will do the trick. Thanks!
Bluestocking–Thanks! And your blog is, too. :) Hope your brainstorming goes well.
Alan–Thanks so much! I always feel like a charlatan when I get this award…I follow so many great writing blogs that I think better deserve it. But I really appreciate it :)
Congratulations on the Writer’s Digest honor.
I hate endings too, but it sounds like you are doing everything right in finding a way to change or improve yours.
Many congratulations on your award. That’s awesome!! I generally have little trouble with endings but I am never satisfied with my beginnings… Oh well, we’re all different, uh?
Best Website for Writers – well deserved. Congratulations.
I’m all right with endings. It’s the beginning that gets me.
Elizabeth – Interesting that you would bring this topic up as it is vital and I happen to be thinking about it at the moment. For me, the challenge with endings is finding a way to give the reader satisfaction without making the ending so neat that it’s not realistic. How much to leave “messy” and “real-life” vs how much to explain clearly – always a question I face…
Oh, and congratulations on your well-deserved award!!! Ya done good! You really are a beacon to us writers…
I have a hard time with beginnings. Endings are much easier for me. You tell me how my beginnings should go, and I’ll fix up your endings :)
Happy Weekend!
Yes! For me, endings are the toughest. I’ve rewritten the ending for this story multiple times. I THINK I have it right now, but it’s marinating while I work on the synopsis and query :)
Olene–Thanks! And, I’m glad I’m not the only one. :)
Karen–Good luck with it!
Pat–You’re in the majority of writers, I think! And thanks. :)
Alex–I think that’s true for most of the writers I know. I don’t know why endings stump me so badly…
Hi Elizabeth – many congratulations – it is well deserved, you have so much to offer .. I’m trying to finish off the A – Z posts ..
Cheers Hilary
Congrats, Elizabeth!
The last book in my series had an ending that needed to be changed. My husband read it and said the surprise wasn’t a surprise because I made it too obvious. Had to go back and rewrite it. Much better the second time.
I don’t. I guess I have a runaway imagination. Lots of twists and turns help for a great ending. Just don’t test the intelligence of your audience. I hate it when an author tries to do something creative at the expense of crediting the reader that they’re not stupid.
And Congrats! on the award!
First of all, I’ve always said Writer’s Digest Magazine is smart. ;)
Secondly, my curiousity is peaked and I’m dying to read it.
T
HUGE congratulations on the blog recognition! You totally deserve it!
Yes, I have a tough time with endings. What’s worse? I have a hard time with beginnings. Oy! I like your idea of how you usually open, though. That gives me some thoughts on changes I could make. And I love the idea of writing down ideas, no matter how silly they may seem. Thank you!
Margot–Thanks! And you’re right–it’s tough. Maybe you could approach it like I did for this one book…keep the subplot with the messy ending and tie up the main plot neatly. Hopefully that will keep the realism and still provide enough satisfaction for readers.
Carol–Sounds like a good trade-off to me!
Stephen–Good point–the ending has to make *sense*. If it doesn’t, we can use one of the other ideas we came up with. :)
Hilary–Best wishes for A-Z…that’s a tough challenge!
Diane–Your husband is a great first reader for you…you’re lucky to have him!
Jemi–Good luck with that synopsis and query!
Journaling Woman–Thanks! I’m eager to read it too and my issue for this month hasn’t made it here yet.
Julie–Thanks!
Hope the ideas help! Yes, I even list the wacky ideas for endings..I could successfully write a spoof of every series. Ha! And the reason I like dialogue for beginnings is because it establishes a situation so quickly–who’s in the scene, what they’re like, where they are (through their movements), and what they’re facing. It’s just easy.
Congratulations on the award! This is your second time to win it, right? Or maybe it’s been more than that.
For the book I’m editing now, the ending was basically decided from the opening chapter. I set her goal there and she’ll achieve it by the ending.
Thanks Helen. :) It’s 3rd, I think. It embarrasses me a little since I read so many great blogs that I think cover writing better than mine!
Interesting! I do like a connection btw. the beginning of a novel and the end of it.