This month, I'm also a co-host (what what!). I haven't done it in so long and it's so much easier than it used to be! But I'm psychotic and since I don't have work today I want to visit as many blogs on the list as I can! Be sure to check out the other co-hosts: Diane Burton, Kim Lajevardi, Sylvia Ney, Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!
This months optional question is: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?
Well, ever since Jordan sunk his claws in me (sorry not sorry), all of my other story ideas have also been LGBT. Although it hasn't been a lot of ideas, honestly (Shiny New Story and Shiny New Story: Fantasy Edition are pretty much it). Jordan hogs all of the attention. I've always gotten more attached to a character or a particular story idea than a genre. And it usually takes me a loooooooooooong time to finish! Don't ask about the fantasy novel I started when I was 14, rewrote twice, worked on several sequels & prequels, and then gave up on.
Jordan wants me to say that HE is my favorite genre ever. He's not wrong.
Anyhoo, moving on...
I am slowly, slowly chipping away at Chapter 26. It's ok that it's taking a while, really, because it's a very complicated chapter. I think even after I finish it, I'll have to give it some time and go back through it again. Maybe after the whole book is done. But since this is basically a brand new scene, I don't really expect to get it perfectly polished like I've done with the earlier chapters in the book.
Well, once 26 is done, I know exactly what happens next in the story. Woohoo! I'm wrapping up my second subplot in Chapter 27. It may run into 28 as well. I'll see when I get there how long it is and if it needs to be broken up. So then all that's left to do is to end the main plot!
Oh, if only that were easy. I've always known the ending to my book, and I feel like it's the right ending to the story, but I think I have a hard time explaining *why* it's the right ending. I mean, it's not exactly an ending that readers would want. I don't think that makes for a bad ending, though. As long as it feels right for the story, it should work, even if it's disappointing. Right? Maybe disappointing isn't the right word. I think it's a realistic ending.
Basically, I can think of two ideal outcomes for my characters' relationship, being either they break if off before something extreme happens, or they stay together forever. I find the first idea boring, and the second one very unrealistic. The ending that actually happens isn't something I can see anyone rooting for, but I think it feels right for these characters. But I also worry if the ending I chose is predictable. There are a few mini twists here and there leading up to it, but I don't think anyone will be extremely surprised that it turns out this way.
I don't know, maybe it all depends on how good of a job I do writing it. If it feels right, and I can pull it off in the right way, then ultimately it'll be the right ending.
Oh, well, I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it. I've still got a little ways to go. I think finishing this book will feel super weird, actually, since I've been working on it FOREVER. I won't know what to do with myself.
How do you know when an ending is right?
Rooting for you to get to that satisfying ending, Sarah! I know what you mean about a character becoming your writing muse (Why I write series!). Worry about Chapter 26 when the book is done - just get it DONE! Thanks to you and Jordan for co-hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're getting through your chapters. I am actually writing some new ones too. I hope your ending works out. I'm really afraid of mine because I only have a general idea of how it plays out. I'm not sure it'll be dramatic enough. Like you, I'll have to wait till I get there to work on it. Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on continuing to write (do you have a choice? Probably not), staying motivated, and allowing fresh ideas and influences enter into your life and writing. Remember the best is yet to come.
ReplyDeleteLynn La Vita @ Writers Supporting Writers
I have that same character plague, too. I need to start a new MG and I'm trying to love this new character that wants to be developed, but my heart won't let go of my first MG characters. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's okay if your progress is slow. At least it's progress, which is positive. Cheering you on!
As long as the ending makes sense and is satisfying, it doesn't have to be happy or perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today!
I always have to trust my gut on endings. They're seldom what I actually planned them to be when I started out, but I feel it out and just kind of know (again, in my gut) when I hit upon the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for co-hosting today!
Why is staying together forever unrealistic? Asks the woman who celebrated her 35th wedding anniversary. ;)
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that if your readers aren't happy, you won't be happy with their reviews. So if you're not going to give them what they want, at least prepare them well for what you give them.
Woot for having the right ending! I'm glad you know where you're going. Here's to getting there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
An editor at a conference I attended said, "It doesn't have to be a happy ending, it just needs to be a satisfying one." I think we can all remember books that didn't end the way we expected, but it felt right for the story the author created.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting IWSG this month!
Mary at Play off the Page
It’s been ages since I’ve co-hosted, too. I don’t know where the time has gone!
ReplyDeleteYeah, when you get into the middle of writing it, you'll know if it's the right ending.
ReplyDeleteI always get my endings fast. Its the middle I get stuck in. Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous of you! I wish I knew by the chapter when I'd wrap up a plot. I write not knowing really what will happen. That's how one book turned into a trilogy--too much writing.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the book!
Good luck with chapter 26, etcetera! Thank you for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteJordan is hysterical! I think my imaginary cat, Simon, would say that he is my favorite genre too.
ReplyDeleteI love writing the false ending then BAM. Here comes the real ending. Endings are so easy for me. Beginnings???? NOPE. Way too much at stake in the first chapter to be easy.
ReplyDeleteI think that as long as you foreshadow the ending, leaving breadcrumbs for the reader to pick up on that makes it feel like the right ending, the readers will still like it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG post.
I got some flack for ending one of my novels in a cliffhanger, when to me that seemed like the ending that needed to happen. But I wouldn't change it on a do-over. So I say go with your gut regardless of what others think. Thanks for co-hosting, and hello to Jordan!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about explaining the reason for the ending. As long as it works for the story, go for it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent on your progress! Steady, but sure. I'm finally to a point where I can see the end of my first draft, I think by summer's end. Good question on the ending. I've always thought I knew how the book ends, but right now, I've got to alternative scenarios. I'm just going to wait it out, any may not decide until a revision or two. It will come to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today!
Glad to hear you're moving steadily along! Those endings, though. I usually don't begin a story until I know how it ends, but am surprised to think up a better ending along the way. Sometimes the endings without the explanation are the best ones. :)
ReplyDeleteYou might get a few annoyed readers with your ending, but to me, it sounds like an interesting ending. I like endings that can make me think.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you'll write multiple endings and test drive them with beta readers? When I get stuck on a plot point, outside eyes always help.
ReplyDeleteCasablanca filmed different endings to see how they "felt" perhaps you could do that as Sadia suggested. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've rewritten the final 1/4 of each book several times. When it's right, it feels good. Good luck on your WIP. Thanks for co-hosting. It is fun, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThe process of editing is long and arduous! It takes me forever. You'll get there.
ReplyDeleteIf it feels right to you, then it's the right ending. Good luck with the next few chapters as you lead up to the end! And thanks for co-hosting this month :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have an excellent system for "Feeling out an ending" (love that title), no matter how long it takes! My guess is that you'll have more in mind to write, once this is finished. So, no worries about what you'll do then ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting - and Happy writing!
Good luck with your chapter! It always seems to be one that holds you up more than the others. Glad to know that once you're past it, things will hopefully be smoother sailing. As for the ending, well you have have to go with what you feel is right for the characters even if it may not be a reader favorite. Some may complain, but others will get it so you'll have a mix. Long as you're happy, then all should be good.
ReplyDeleteAfter working on a book for so long, I have a hard time turning it loose. Part of that feeling might be that I don't want to start all over again!
ReplyDeleteYou have an ending that is neither? Very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteEnding a book is always weird - gotta embrace it. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think endings that are bittersweet or even sad can still be fulfilling for the reader. You know? Realistic works for me --sometimes, a story getting a happy ending would ruin the whole set-up you've been reading for the last couple hundred pages! It's awesome that you've always known how it would end. I'm a bit of a pantser and my endings have surprised me. :)
ReplyDeleteI never know exactly the right ending until I've done a million drafts, and the ending seems inevitable. I wish my endings would go done as I first envision them, but my brain doesn't work that way. Apparently.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
Funny how endings come about sometimes. I usually know the beginning and end and it ends up that way, the ride to get there is different many a time though.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I know that one, when a character takes over your life and your brain, and all you could think about is their adventures and their emotions and their problems. Such a character becomes your best friend, sometimes for years.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting! I think you will know it's right when you get it down on paper. I think it's definitely okay to have a less happy ending if that's what your book calls for. Of course, I killed and re-killed off some characters in my first trilogy so I am a fan of endings that don't always involve perfect happiness ... I like those sometimes, but not always.
ReplyDeleteI'm a romance writer/reader so bring on the HEA ... as long as it works. And it doesn't always work. The Giver's ambiguous ending is one that will always stick with me! Do what makes sense to you, Jordan, and the story :)
ReplyDeleteIf it feels right, and I can pull it off in the right way, then ultimately it'll be the right ending.
ReplyDeleteTHIS.
I'm struggling with the ending of my latest WIP as well. I wanted one of my characters to live, but she died, and I don't know what to do about it. Sounds crazy, I know--but I wasn't sure till the last moment she was to die, and now I can't bring myself to undo it, because it would strike as false.
All the best with your book--and hope it gets the ending that's perfect for it.
If you know the ending is right for your story, you'll figure out the best way to explain the why:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting, Sarah! I always think a story is better when it seems right for the story ~ more organic and authentic. Happy writing this month!
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you, Sarah. I'm like you. I started trying to write as a kid the second I learned what writing was. When it "feels right" I really get cookin. Thank you for co-hosting! Great post. Happy IWSG Day!
ReplyDeleteWhen is the ending right? Great question! I suppose it's different for different people. Some may get a rush of emotion that tells them they've got it. Others probably fiddle and faddle with it until they quit out of exhaustion.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
If you end with the characters breaking up, you can always have a sequel. Then Jordan can continue to rule your writing world for even longer.
Endings are tricky. I've read some books whose ending was so annoying I threw the book down. And some so predictable I threw the down. As authors writing endings, we should be true to our characters snd their journey.
ReplyDeleteEndings are the toughest for me. Usually with the genres I write, I know there must be a HEA, but how to get there? Sometimes it pops up with ease, but there have been ones I've agonized for months over. I let the characters decide.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the progress. Happy IWSG!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog and for co-hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteFor me, endings are the worst. I have no problem coming up with satisfying endings (whether happy or not) but I don't always do the best of executing them. For me, I know an ending is right when there is a sense of closure to the story or at least an explanation of why there is no closure.
I can relate. Sometimes it's hard to know which is the best ending or other scene in the story. Hang in there. You'll get the right one. Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteEndings are basically easy if you look at what genre you're writing in. Most genres have expected formulaic plotting, but it can be hard when you want to do something different from reader expectations.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're making great progress.
ReplyDeleteI love story beginnings and always start off with a bang... not so much the endings.
Thank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month.
As Michelle says - it does sound like you're making great progress. I agree with you that the power of the ending you're gravitating towards depends on how well you write it.
ReplyDeleteWorking towards any ending is always difficult for me. That you have a few options at least gives direction and a destination. Best of luck!
ReplyDelete"I'll see when I get there" often that's the best way to go. Write out the story as it comes to you first then organise and revise. Keep at it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes endings are finicky creatures. You have it right, I think, to wait and see how it goes. Sometimes things happen and give you a path previously unconsidered... Thanks for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteKnowing when the ending is right is a gut-feeling kind of thing for me. And sometimes readers might disagree with me, especially if I bend genre expectations too fluidly. But hey: it's my art, after all. I'll make it to suit me and hope that others enjoy it too. @mirymom1 from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Like Samantha said, knowing the right ending is a gut feeling. You know it when you've nailed it. Good luck with your writing!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, and thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteWell, it sounds like the end is in sight, which is good news! As a reader, I don't think it's always a bad thing if I predict the ending. It can make for a satisfying feeling - as if everything wrapped up just as it should. It doesn't make the book a disappointment because it's not like you can predict everything that happens throughout the whole plot. But the big question here is, what will happen to attention-seeking Jordan after you're done? Will he demand endless sequels??
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month! I’m the same. Sometimes a character and their story would get a hold on me that it’ll distract me from a current project. I try to get out all ot the outline, preplotting, etc out of the way while it’s still fresh in my mind. Then try my hardest to refocus on my current work in progress. Because as soon as that’s done I can get back to it. Unfortunately, I’m a slow writer.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your making a lot of progress these weeks! And, knowing the ending is fantastic, as everything else can lead up to it with the necessary twists and turns. But, you have a good and realistic goal. And, you're getting close. Keep on going and the right answers will present themselves! Thanks for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDelete