I’ve about had it. I’ve read several books in the last few weeks that flat out refused to give me a proper ending. Writers, I don’t care if you’ve got a twenty-seven book series, I don’t care if you’re trying to leave a few secrets for books 20-23, I don’t care if you have a proposal you’re just dying to sell and you think that having readers clamor for more will be the way to nudge your publisher along — WRITE ME A FRICKING ENDING OR I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR BOOKS.
Capice?
This is what happens: The book is sailing along, getting stormier and more dangerous and more exciting and more unescapable and oh, oh, oh, what’s going to happen? Will they survive? Will they escape? Will they live happily ever after?
I DON’T KNOW.
In Book A (name withheld), the climax was still climaxing at the end of the last chapter. The EPILOGUE showed the rest of the climax, but didn’t really deal with the fates of any of the characters. Um, excuse me? What kind of crap is that? I honestly thought I was missing a few pages.
In Book B (name withheld), we at least found out whether the main characters survived. However, we had no clue why the villain did what she did, no idea of what it was that that nemesis wanted to do to the heroine, and no concept of what the main characters’ mindset was after the climax. There was no resolution, except for one of the secondary heroes (the heroine’s brother, who had his own resolution), and the only post-climax scene dealt with a minor secondary character who was, you guessed it, the hero of the next book. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!
I am currently writing the first book in a series and I’m taking as my series model the Harry Potter books. My books will have satisfactory endings of their own right as well as making people excited about the next book in the series. As Blog is my witness, they shall.
And, in other news, finished Awaken Me Darkly last night. What a great book! (What a great ending!)
May 25th, 2005 at 8:09 am
Yeah the Harry Potter books are great. The particular adventure of year one, two, etc. is resolved and yet we KNOW danger lurks because Voldemort is out there plotting his revenge. I think it’s possible to leave some secrets and even have teasers for what might be coming in a later book, but that only works if there is also a satisfying conclusion for each part of the series. I suppose it’s a delicate balancing act, if done well it’s fantastic and if done poorly, well…
I’m looking forward to Awaken Me Darkly but hearing how great it is only makes the waiting worse LOL.
I think you’ll do a great job with your series Diana
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May 25th, 2005 at 8:37 am
I think I might have broken a record for how many times I used the word great in a blogpost. I’ll blame it on the fact that I’m not awake yet…do you think anybody will believe THAT??? }:)
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May 25th, 2005 at 8:48 am
Reminds me of a famous writing quote,
“The beginning sells the book, and the ending sells the NEXT book.”
So true!
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May 25th, 2005 at 8:51 am
It is true, Pam, but I think some writers took that a little too literally — as if the ending should be a flat out advertisement for the next book.
I understand the temptation to rush, truly. By the time I’m near done writing a book, I want it to be OVER. But readers deserve a proper ending for all youve made them suffer through with your characters.
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May 25th, 2005 at 8:59 am
I had a very similar experience with Book Not Mentioned a couple of weeks ago where I was totally enjoying it, completely into it and was expecting a wrap-up at the end, but on the last page it all but had the neon sign flashing “BUY MY NEXT BOOK TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS” and it really, really disappointed me. I understand the author’s need to sell more books (good for her!), but I just wanted to know how this particular story ended.
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May 25th, 2005 at 9:42 am
And it’s not just books! It’s TV shows, too! I just blogged about it.
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May 25th, 2005 at 11:22 am
Are you talking about CT Fash, Diana? I am so very guilty of this!!! But I don’t think I did it to sell more books…I did it more because I wanted an ending with a twist. **grin**
Marianne
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May 25th, 2005 at 1:54 pm
Confession, Marianne, I haven’t finished your book yet… try a spoiler alert, chica!
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May 25th, 2005 at 2:11 pm
Well, I just finished CT Fashionista, and plot twist and all, it was awesome! I told Marianne, I had to change positions from lounging back in my chair to sitting up and leaning forward to read the ending, because it was SOOO not a lounging back scene! Wonderful job, Marianne!!
Shannon
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May 26th, 2005 at 7:07 am
Um, oops!
Sorry D.
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