Writerly Ways
Feb. 8th, 2026 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI was listening to this the other day about endings
And had several thoughts: 1. I suck at ending things. I never want to say goodbye to the characters. If I don't finish it I have to say goodbye. But that's not the problem mentioned above. That's for people who finish things
2. Have I been guilty of any of them?
3. I might be guilty. My 1980s monster hunter toes the line for the unearned happy ending. Maybe. Sort of.
It's hard to talk about it without spoiling the ending and it probably IS something that would be better if a beta reader looked at I could discuss it with them.
So why am I worried? there are multiple monster in this (maybe too many, that's a problem for another time). One monster is there at the end but it also did the work for the heroes and I'm wondering is that a good pay off? Dan and Howell (the two characters with issues that need to be resolved) get to their ending so there's that. It's probably not as bad an ending as I worry it is.
How about you? Have you worried about your endings?
Open Calls
Trollbreath Magazine Speculative fiction, poetry, and non-fiction of all kinds with a particular fondness for slipstream and fabulism in all their delightful forms
What Elegant Stars: Queer Tales of Impossible Style Space opera stories involving style, fashion, and society with a queer theme.
Astrolabe Stories about how we seek out, discover, and grasp onto connection in all genres with a particular fondness for anything that moves beyond realism in form or content or spirit
Hearth Stories Speculative fiction that explores connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world.
Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity Stories must include the 3 title elements: 1. Tea or Coffee, 2. Stars, 3. Gravity.
Nine Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in February 2026
40 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for February 2026
From Around the Web
Does Your Novel Just…Stop? What Makes a Good Ending (I swear I didn't plan this but the article is here...)
How to Write a Book Pitch That Gets Replies (With Examples).
Metaphor Fatigue: When Imagery Stops Working
From Betty
Words pull us through to the future
Five Ways Gods and the Afterlife Change a Fantasy Setting
How to Craft a Satisfying Reveal
Should You Cut Your Novel Into a Series?
Six Ways to Keep Characters in the Danger Zone
The Dos and Don’ts of Blogging for Writers
Think Music As You Write Words
Seven Decisions That Can Crash Your Story Onto The Rocks.
Five Things I’d Go Back and Tell New Writer Me
Is Single or Multiple Viewpoints Best for Your Story?
Bookshop.org Teams with Draft2Digital
When Should You Stop Querying a Book?
How Writers Should Take Advice: Knowing When to Play It Safe and When to Take Risks.
Finding Inspiration to Write: How Body, Mind, and Soul Work Together
Publishing Paths for Writers: Understanding Vanity Presses Before You Sign
Why Writers Should Take a Daily Walk to Boost Creativity and Writing Output
Story as Cosmology: Understanding Story as a Framework for Meaning
The Greengrocer Writes a Fantasy Novel
So Random
And had several thoughts: 1. I suck at ending things. I never want to say goodbye to the characters. If I don't finish it I have to say goodbye. But that's not the problem mentioned above. That's for people who finish things
2. Have I been guilty of any of them?
3. I might be guilty. My 1980s monster hunter toes the line for the unearned happy ending. Maybe. Sort of.
It's hard to talk about it without spoiling the ending and it probably IS something that would be better if a beta reader looked at I could discuss it with them.
So why am I worried? there are multiple monster in this (maybe too many, that's a problem for another time). One monster is there at the end but it also did the work for the heroes and I'm wondering is that a good pay off? Dan and Howell (the two characters with issues that need to be resolved) get to their ending so there's that. It's probably not as bad an ending as I worry it is.
How about you? Have you worried about your endings?
Open Calls
Trollbreath Magazine Speculative fiction, poetry, and non-fiction of all kinds with a particular fondness for slipstream and fabulism in all their delightful forms
What Elegant Stars: Queer Tales of Impossible Style Space opera stories involving style, fashion, and society with a queer theme.
Astrolabe Stories about how we seek out, discover, and grasp onto connection in all genres with a particular fondness for anything that moves beyond realism in form or content or spirit
Hearth Stories Speculative fiction that explores connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world.
Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity Stories must include the 3 title elements: 1. Tea or Coffee, 2. Stars, 3. Gravity.
Nine Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in February 2026
40 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for February 2026
From Around the Web
Does Your Novel Just…Stop? What Makes a Good Ending (I swear I didn't plan this but the article is here...)
How to Write a Book Pitch That Gets Replies (With Examples).
Metaphor Fatigue: When Imagery Stops Working
From Betty
Words pull us through to the future
Five Ways Gods and the Afterlife Change a Fantasy Setting
How to Craft a Satisfying Reveal
Should You Cut Your Novel Into a Series?
Six Ways to Keep Characters in the Danger Zone
The Dos and Don’ts of Blogging for Writers
Think Music As You Write Words
Seven Decisions That Can Crash Your Story Onto The Rocks.
Five Things I’d Go Back and Tell New Writer Me
Is Single or Multiple Viewpoints Best for Your Story?
Bookshop.org Teams with Draft2Digital
When Should You Stop Querying a Book?
How Writers Should Take Advice: Knowing When to Play It Safe and When to Take Risks.
Finding Inspiration to Write: How Body, Mind, and Soul Work Together
Publishing Paths for Writers: Understanding Vanity Presses Before You Sign
Why Writers Should Take a Daily Walk to Boost Creativity and Writing Output
Story as Cosmology: Understanding Story as a Framework for Meaning
The Greengrocer Writes a Fantasy Novel
So Random
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