Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

This is one of those weeks where putting two thoughts together is going to be a problem. I wouldn’t have anything to talk about here other than my abject failure to do anything constructive this past week and to regal you with the dull tales of me going over 10-15 year old vampire stories wondering if there was something in there I could salvage for class and say whoo hoo, I’m done with half my assignment (Only if I want to be embarrassed as it turns out. Almost all those vampire/werewolf stories are more werewolf)

However, a paranormal romance writer friend sent me a link to Seekersville (which I’ve linked to many times before and as you’ve probably figured out is dedicated to romance but some things are completely genre non-dependent). This one struck a chord with me since it was something I was complaining about bitterly during last year’s nano and in my writer’s group: how to end a chapter.

There’s this OCD thing going on in my head that demands things to be ‘finished.’ Great. That’s all well and good but a ‘finished’ chapter does little more than say, ‘hey stick the bookmark here and turn out the lights. I’ll see you in the morning.’ That’s not what I want. I want to have the ‘OMG I stayed up to 4 AM reading this and now I can’t function at work’ effect on my readers. That means knowing how to set the hook and keep them turning those pages.

Getting the sense that all is well and the scene is finished is really not how to do that. Not every chapter needs to end on some amazing cliffhanger. Even that gets tiring after a while. Still, there needs to be a certain sense of something to make us want to read on. And since I’m not that good at this – I know full well that I need better ways of doing this – I’m sending us all over to the pro’s . if anyone has anything they’d like to share with the group here, go nuts. I’d love to hear it.

I’m going to keep this short since there’s a house to clean and lectures to write. I only worked on one story so I’ll just update that one.

Yearly total -

62114 / 175000 words. 35% done! (you can see the different from this year to last year. Last year i kept having to up my total this year it's doubtful i'll meet it)

Machiavelli Moon – another chapter edited. First major snarl spotted and am bashing on

Beneath the Torn Sky -

59289 / 85000 words. 70% done!

Saiyuki Big Bang -

1808 / 15000 words. 12% done! (this blows, I need ideas, Saiyuki people)

FMA Big Bang -

17936 / 22000 words. 82% done!

Comments

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

The trick to ending chapters is, even if you end one with the hero snuggling down in bed and turning out the light, to still have something to look forward to, or something looming ominously. So simple, tra-la-la. But just try actually applying that to a living story (glares at experts).

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I suppose in that sense, i do accomplish my goals, mystery yet to solve, villian yet to vanquish and all that.

And i think there is a real dichotomy between us and the British at least in the mystery genre. The Brits are happy with a slow unveiling. Americans want bodies everywhere and people swinging from the chandeliers

[bob_fish.livejournal.com]

I agree with Silvrethorn - I try to end chapters with a hook for the next, but that said, a lot of good stuff I read doesn't do that, and I keep reading because I'm enjoying the journey. I do it because I worry about my plots losing momentum. That said, for me doing that has sometimes involved somewhat clunky plot development which I then try and disguise with character stuff.

This is driving me nuts in the sequel to NSI, which is why I haven't posted yet. Much of the plot involves how the characters cope with the quiet, tense build up of hostilities before a war. So, um, it's a story about people sitting around waiting? Um, tons of momentum there.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I just feel like maybe I'm doing it wrong. Sometimes I'm a very poor judge of my own work.

yes i can see your issue there. How's the sequel going otherwise? Will it be your bigbang or are you even writing for that