by Hazel Buys
First, a tip: I flew by an article by Jane Friedman
that neatly categorizes publishing into 5 types. Take a look:
On another note... the other night, I was reading,
as a precursor to getting drowsy and dropping off into dreamland (hopefully), I
realized I was actually getting irritated because the book I was reading
wouldn't end. Did you feel that way at the end of the movie, LORD OF THE RINGS,
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING? A review of the movie I read lamented that it wouldn't end!
I love the LOTR series and didn't mind the
stop-start rhythm of the last 15 minutes or so of the movie. But I definitely mind
the stuttering end (?) of the book I am still
reading. (The names have been omitted to protect the guilty.) The mystery had
been solved, the guilty sent to prison, the various odds and ends tied up and I
was hoping for a satisfactory wrap-up sentence before shutting down my Kindle
and going to sleep. But every time I clicked the page-forward button at the end
of the chapter, instead of a teaser for the next novel (I love that some
authors are doing that) or an epilogue, another
chapter appeared!
Which prompted me to write a note to self: when
you've tied up your plot and subplots with a neat little bow, the next two
words should be "The END." If there is more exposition, sprinkle it
throughout the narrative, put it in an epilogue or leave it out (perhaps the
best solution). Don't leave your reader wishing it were over already. There is
no better way to guarantee they won't pick up your next book.
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