How To End A Novel

Since I have already posted about how to begin a novel, here are some tips/guidelines for ending one on a high note. I am sure that you have all seen the "plot graph" before, but it's a good place to start anyway.


The first thing that I would like to mention about this picture is its deceiving proportions. The 'Resolution' and 'Falling Conflict' part of the line looks pretty big, right? Wrong. Once the CLIMAX happens, you want to get out of there as fast as possible without leaving your reader feeling cheated. The biggest event in your story has already occurred, and all that's left is the cool-down period. One or two scenes/chapters should wrap things up nicely. There is no need to drag the ending on forever. Get in, accomplish what you need to accomplish, and get out, just like clipping the beginnings and ends of scenes.

Another useful tip: unless you feel in your soul that it is absolutely necessary, I strongly advise against killing off your protagonist. Although the death of a hero can be extremely poignant, I recommend adding an 'expendable' sidekick/friend/wizardly guide/someone-likeable that you can redshirt in the final battle (for a Fantasy novel) or kill in some freak accident (for an angsty romance novel). Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, killing off your main character will only succeed in pissing off your readers.

Note: there is an exception to this rule. If you have written a godawful story/novel and want to move on, it is totally acceptable to end it (just for the sake of ending it) by killing all of your mediocre characters in some kind of fire or other natural disaster. Actually, doing this can be rather soothing for your frazzled nerves, and it will allow you to find some closure before moving on to your next project.

If you are writing a romance novel (or any novel with romance in it), for goodness sake, do NOT end the novel with the two main characters on the outs, even if you are planning a sequel so that they can fall back into each other's arms. Have them come together happily at the end. If you want to disrupt the relationship again in your sequel for more drama, feel free, but give the poor person who was kind enough to read your work a bone. Some more romance advice - do not have your characters constantly break up and make up. Once or twice is all right, but if it happens seven or eight times... it gets old. Fictional people in an on-off relationship are just as annoying as friends in real life that don't know when to let it stick or call it quits.

Writing a good ending is a little like cooking a complicated recipe. You want the right amount of left-over tension to make the reader want to buy your other books, but you want to leave the reader with a sense of peace after their journey with you. Do not endeavor to write your ending until you feel that the time is right. Also, you can write your ending WHENEVER the mood strikes, even if your novel is not finished yet. I usually pen my endings long before the middle of the book is finished. I find that they turn out better that way. Like your beginning, you will know when the time is right.

Letter

Just a little something I wrote while feeling frustrated today. Might send it, might not, but if I do, it'll be edited again first. I know that it sounds a little "whiney".


Dear Mr. Wolf,

First of all, I wanted to thank you for creating several amazing television shows, including my favorite, Law and Order: SVU. I am not sure if you will ever read this letter, as I am sure that you receive many others, but I had to write it for myself anyway.

In addition to being a writer, an artist, and a musician, I am also a lesbian. I should probably add that I am a diehard Alex Cabot/Olivia Benson fan. I was disappointed with the whole Babs Duffy thing (she was pretty annoying), but usually, you’ve got a friendly attitude towards the LGBT community, and we appreciate it.

However, every time I watch Law and Order: SVU, no matter how much I enjoy it, there is an ache in my chest. It is an ache that all gay, bisexual, and transgender people carry around with them. A longing.

When I was little, I searched for role models just like other young girls. I loved Disney movies, but wanting to be a princess and marry one as well confused me. At twelve, I spiraled into a deep depression. Over the next two years, I attempted suicide twice. Only the love of my best friend, who is now my girlfriend of six years, saved me.

During my recovery, one of the things that helped me was fanfiction and original fiction about lesbians. It might seem silly, but it eased my pain to imagine that somewhere out there was a strong, confident woman who was like me. In my slice of WASP suburbia, I was the only lesbian I knew apart from my girlfriend. The internet was a safe way to share my secret dreams and hopes.

Although it helped me, becoming a fangirl of lesbian pairings (especially Alex/Olivia) was a two-edged sword. I gained confidence, but I knew that my dream would never become a reality no matter how many stars I wished on. I longed for one – just one – gay role model that wasn’t from a soap opera like The L Word.

No matter how many stars I wish on, I know the whole Alex/Olivia thing is never going to happen. Stephanie March is gone (again), and television has always been cautious about giving us lead roles. I suppose we crash ratings or something. But I wanted to spread a message.

Somewhere, a young gay teenager just like me is desperately searching for a role model she will never find. Maybe suicide wouldn’t have seemed so attractive if I had been able to watch a gay character on TV and envision a future like theirs – a successful future instead of a painful one. It would have been like a light at the end of the tunnel. It would have helped me forget the pain of breaking my parents' hearts, having to choose between missing prom and going alone, and the constant bullying.

This isn’t a demand or a plea... I guess I just wanted to let someone in the whole TV/Movie industry know how we feel (and judging by the fan websites out there, there are a lot of us)! We’re still waiting for the first mainstream show to have a central lesbian character/relationship. No, The L Word totally doesn’t count – it’s basically a bunch of hot women sleeping around and causing unnecessary drama. Definitely not the kind of role models I want.

Maybe someday (assuming you actually read this letter), you will be in the position to mention it to the boring old “men in black suits” that make the money decisions and select pilots. Maybe someday, we’ll go farther than Xena, Warrior Princess ever could. Maybe someday, a teenager will be able to envision a better future for herself.

Thanks and best wishes, your faithful fan,

Rae D. Magdon

The One True Way

Writing is hard.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, no matter who they are. They might be other writers who, after a certain amount of success, have forgotten all of the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get where they are. They might be scornful family members that don't understand your "silly little hobby". But we all know better. We know how difficult it is to be a writer, how draining it can be on both your energy and your emotions.

There are lots of "writing courses" that you can take online to "write a novel in 30 days with just one easy payment!" Most of these courses are scams. There is no secret to writing a novel quickly and easily... the only way to do it is through hard work, practice, and perseverance. If it was easy, everyone would have a published novel.

A few of these courses are genuine writer's tutorials that explain how any given author achieved their own success. Reading these can be useful, but eventually you realize that all the research in the world will not help you finish your own novel any faster. Every writer has their own way of writing and every writer has their own ways to be productive. It is good to research these ways, many of them are useful, but you also need to do some soul searching and find your OWN tricks.

There is no secret formula. There is no One True Way. There are no guarantees. All you can do is keep on writing.

There is one thing that all successful writers have in common, however. They surround themselves with a support network. Those friends that think you are wasting your time? Ignore them. Find yourself some new friends. Seek out other writers. Build communities. Find others like you. Offer and receive encouragement as well as constructive criticism.

Write for yourself, but when the writing gets hard, the support of good friends and colleagues is invaluable.

Starting A Novel

Today, I read a post on one of the forums I frequent (I will not reveal the forum out of slight embarrassment) asking how to begin a fantasy novel. I thought about it for all of two seconds before coming up with a few good, solid pieces of advice for beginning a novel, and I thought they were worth typing up and sharing. Here we go.

Rae's Advice For Starting A Fantasy Novel:

1. You don't have to start writing at the beginning

Although I started The Second Sister and The Witch's Daughter at the beginning, all of my other novels began somewhere in the middle. I wrote the scene that had captured my imagination and filled in the rest later. It is much easier to write that way. This is good advice for the entire novel-writing process. Do NOT force yourself to go through from beginning to end, or you'll get stuck. Write the fun bits and do a little filling in every day.


2. Start scenes late and end them early

For any scene, but especially for beginning scenes, it is helpful to introduce the reader to what is happening after the action has already started and leave before the conflict is resolved. This will help build suspense and cut out some of the boring bits that don't do much besides pad your word count.


3. The three (and a half) ways to start a novel, a chapter, or a scene

a) Dialogue
Beginning a scene with dialogue puts you right in the action and introduces characters, their thoughts, and their speech patterns immediately. I highly recommend it.

b) An action
Beginning with an action is similar to starting with dialogue. It introduces a character and their thoughts (at least some of them) immediately, without any fluff. The reader will want to know what happens next.

c) Description of a character/landscape/ect
This is the hardest but the most common way to begin a novel. You need to be very careful when you begin a story with a description instead of an action (verbal or physical). Describing the landscape or location should only take a few sentences AT MOST, and after a few punchy, vivid descriptive adjectives or adverbs, you want to move right to the dialogue or action. You can take a little longer with characters, especially if they are doing something while you describe them, but you still want to get to the interesting stuff fast.


4. There is plenty of time for backstory

If your fantasy world (or sci fi world, or modern day world...) has lots of backstory, don't worry. There will be PLENTY of time for you to add that in later. Feed the reader little pieces until they get a clear picture, don't shove it all into the first chapter and definitely don't add a prologue. As I've mentioned before, just because some great Sci-fi writers do it doesn't mean it's a good idea... trust me.


5. Don't copy the greats (because some of them are boooh-riiiing)

Just because someone writes a great fantasy novel doesn't mean that they wrote a great beginning as well. Tolkein comes to mind. I despite Tolkein's writing, but his world and characters and conflict are just SO damn good that no one cares about his clunky word choices. Write a beginning that interests you, don't go imitating great novels that might not have the best start, no matter how amazing the rest of the novel might be. If you have to imitate someone, you're better off with the novel with a bang at the beginning and no substance later on. You can go back to copying and idolizing the masters once you've gotten past the first chapter.