rewriting novel drafts Archives

Sooner or later a writer comes to the end. Writing endings should be easy.

However, a story needs to have the right finale. That isn’t easy.

Different Genres, Different Endings

In a romance, the couple gets together at the end. In a mystery, the problem gets solved. For a thriller the ending is exciting.

Readers of each genre know what type of ending their story should have. If it doesn’t, the reader is disappointed.

Because a reader expects a certain type of ending, doesn’t mean the reader wants to know what the ending is. A story must be very, very good to make a reader not mind having a predictable ending.

How Does a Writer Know When to Stop?

There are two endings in a novel. One is the end of the action. The other is the end of the story.

For the first, the plot builds up to those last exciting moments. Often a dangerous situation rises to a climax. Will the main character survive?

Once the climax passes, all the pieces of the plot must be tied up. How did the detective arrive at the answer? What happens now?

The happy couple embraces. The detective explains. Someone saves the day. And everyone goes back to their lives. This is The End.

cover for "Dora's Story" by Karen GoatKeeper — When I started writing this book, I had an ending in mind. As I wrote it, the ending seemed more and more not the right one. It’s important for a writer to recognize when a story has changed enough to make the best ending different from the one first in mind.

My Novel Is Ending

Writing endings is usually easy for me. I’ve created the story, the plot and know where it leads.

In the first draft the ending rolls onto the page. It doesn’t change much in other drafts because it fits the story.

This novel has problems. The rough draft has an ending. Fine. It sort of fit, but didn’t feel right. It felt contrived.

In this second, maybe third draft I found I had made a major mistake at the beginning of the third part of the story. No problem. I would correct the mistake and blend into the original draft.

There is now a completed new draft. And I am left writing endings for this new draft. And looking for a title.

A massive storm is headed north. It leaves flooding and destruction in its wake. Getting ready for its arrival is a boring storyline.

In my new novel, Mindy has three days to fill. One is spent stocking up. The second finishes up tasks and putting things away. Last is setting things up for the coming flood.

Routines Are Boring

Rural routines are normally a boring storyline. Each day has its routines. Excitement is not appreciated as it often means something went wrong. Mindy lives a rural life with regular routines and tasks. Ho hum says the reader.

Readers don’t read boring books. They don’t make it past a boring beginning. When I read over the draft for these three days, it was boring. How do I make these three days engaging? Suspenseful?

I know these days are important. They set up the rest of the novel. The reader doesn’t know this. How can I avoid having these three days being a boring storyline?

What is happening?

Looking for Suspense

The storm is coming. How bad is it expected to be? How bad has it been? Suspense? Morbid anticipation?

Mindy is making preparations for the storm. She has livestock to protect. There are buildings and equipment to secure.

These things are unfamiliar to most people today. Rural life is so far removed from city people’s reality as to seem alien, belonging to another country even.

More familiar perhaps would be the phone calls from Justin, her husband. He is working elsewhere. He wants to take her away from this life she has come to love.

Life is made up of choices. Many of these choices mean little. Some can change our whole lives.

From these beginning days with the boring storyline come the choices Mindy must make. They are choices only she can make. And she must make them alone. But first she must survive the coming storm.