End Before Beginning
Dear Maggie,
Do you know how your books will end before you start writing them?
Sincerely,
Reader in Raleigh
Dear Reader,
With romance stories, one key ingredient is the happily-ever-after, or at least the happily-for-now, ending. Readers expect this, and I want to deliver. Of course, I write romantic suspense, and the suspense part requires some danger, intrigue, mystery, and nail-biting first. I tend to put my characters through the ringer before they get to ride off into the sunset, but hopefully this makes their ending all the more satisfying!
But back to your question. Do I know a book’s ending before I start writing it? Yes. I spend quite a bit of time doing what I’ll call pre-writing. This stage is like outlining, only much less formal. Generally, I have notebooks or scraps of paper or my phone’s note section with me everywhere, ready and waiting to capture bits of my new story as they fall out of my head. In my writing process, this thinking part is where I hash out the main characters personalities, come up with the overall plot arc, and yes, figure out how things should end. None of this is written in stone, but I look at my messy outline as a framework for the story, over which I’ll layer on the details. Sometimes, in the middle of writing, I’ll find a better solution, or a more satisfying way to end the story, but it’s still usually close to what I’d already imagined.
If I don’t have this infrastructure in place, including a vision for the ending, I’m simply not ready to start writing. Before the story has clicked into place, I sort of circle around and around in my mind. This is what the dreaded writer’s block feels like to me, but I know it will resolve, so I’ll keep swirling around ideas until I hit on something that sticks. Once this happens, it’s an ‘a-ha’ moment, and the story coalesces in my mind. Only then will I start actually drafting it out.
Every writer is different, but I find I’m much more productive, and much less likely to head down a rabbit hole with my plot action, if I have a roadmap to guide me, including the final stop. Thanks for the great question!
Do you have a question for me? Send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog!
In other news…
I’ll be teaching a Zoom webinar titled “Editing: Soup to Nuts” on Wednesday, November 15th at 7 pm EST. It’s only 90 minutes and very reasonably priced (only $35) for as much information as I can pack into the time slot! So, if you or anyone you know have interest, please follow this LINK to register. Here’a a description… For many authors, the editing process is a daunting one, but a well edited manuscript can mean the difference between a book that’s ready for the world and a document that sits in a drawer collecting dust. Let’s talk about the different parts of the editing process and how to successfully find and work with an editor. We’ll also spend time discussing the goals of a developmental edit and how to work effectively with beta readers or critique partners. Learn practical techniques that will help make the editing process efficient, effective, and satisfying!
