Affectionately referred to as WIP 😉
I haven’t exactly told you anything about it have I? Oh dear, me bad lol. Well, to be honest, it wasn’t a WIP until recently, it was more like an WNP (work not progressing) lol
Back in 2010 I decided to take part in Nano, which, at the time, was a ridiculous task to undertake, as I’d only been to a couple of creative writing lessons at my local Adult Ed and hadn’t written a thing (fictional) since leaving school (and no, I’m not telling you how many years ago that was lol). But, always up for a challenge, I threw myself into Nano, and wrote 65,000 words in just under 2 weeks. Once I’d started, I couldn’t stop 🙂
But, once I did stop, I couldn’t start again, and the poor little MS ended up languishing on my Netbook, unfinished, until last month.
My success at Nano (I’ve completed both 2010 & 2011) I put down to the fact that I don’t edit, at all, not in the slightest. So there are spelling mistakes, full stops missing, capital letters that have wandered off, you name it. I find it very easy to write like that, but, the mammoth editing task has meant that summoning up the strength and courage to attempt to edit has been my downfall 😦
So with the encouragement of my tutor at writing classes, last month, I tentatively opened the file for the first time in, ooooo, 16months lol. It did have an outing in August 2011, where the first 2 chapters were printed off and given to Emma Darwin for a critique. Her comments and thoughts about it were pretty positive (thank heavens) so why wasn’t that enough to get me fired up to finish it?
To be honest, it’s my age old problem…..I don’t know how to finish it, I don’t know how I want it to end lol. I even did a poll on FaceBook, asking my friends, do you prefer a happy ending? The general consensus was yes, but, that as long as it was “satisfying” it didn’t necessarily need to be happy. Oh, come on guys, you’re no help, I wanted a definitive yes or no answer!!!! Lol
Sooooo, anyway, I have now edited the prologue, changed it from 3rd person to 1st person at Emma Darwin’s suggestion, and I’m just about to start editing the first chapter *gulp*
So now you know the title 😉 as for genre, that’s a hard one. I haven’t written a synopsis yet (something else that needs doing lol) so the only way I can describe it is by saying its a family saga about 2 brothers and it’s written in the omniscient POV (each chapter is in 3rd person centring around a different character). It starts with a suicide, theres murder, corruption, love, sadness and a young woman who discovers the father she thought was her father was actually her uncle lol. When my husband read it he said it was like reading a film, ie different scenes. Sounds confusing I know, but I guess, once I finish it and get a couple of Beta readers, we’ll see if it really is readable 😉
So how about that ending? do you agree with my Facebook friends? Do you prefer a happy ending?
The View Outside 
65,000 words in under 2 weeks? Excellent! 😀
As for endings, I like them bittersweet. Not totally sad, but not super happy either. I have the same problems figuring out exactly how to end a story. I usually write with the climax in mind. I guess that is what a lot of us do. I like the title, too. Very catchy. 🙂
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I was exhausted Sara lol 😉
Hmmmmmm, bittersweet, that could work 😉
Thanks hon xx
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Good for you for digging in and editing your story! As a reader I would rather have an ending that is satisfying and real and makes sense than a contrived “happy” ending any time.
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Thanks honey 🙂
Yeah, initially I was going to end it that the baddie got his “come uppence”(SP?) like my dear old gran would say, but, the more I to into the story, the more I liked him, and wanted him to end up in a good place. Blooming hell I’m torn lol
Xx
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Happy ending? Unequivocally YES! Was I definite enough? 🙂
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Ha ha ha, thanks Joan 🙂
Xx
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I like HEA because real life doesn’t always produce them. I like knowing the characters will end up together even if they aren’t at the end. I agree with your poll though, as long as its satisfying it doesn’t have to always be a perfect HEA.
I did nano for the first time last year, but it took me all month to get 65K. I haven’t touched that manuscript in ones and actually wrote a sequel that I’m editing first. I can’t bring myself to look at the first one.
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Thanks honey, that’s a good point, there’s enough doom and gloom in life isn’t there 🙂
Lol….that’s exactly how I felt, I think I was sick of the sight of it!!!! Lol. I’m finding my groove with it again though now 🙂
I’m swaying lol
Xx
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Congratulations on the writing & now the review. What does your gut feeling tell you?
Personally, I like a realistic ending, one that fits with the storyline. Does there have to be a formal ending? Obviously, not knowing the storyline, I am writing random, but could this be part of a series…..leave with a cliff hanger, ready for a new book to take over?
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Thanks Julie 🙂
My gut feeling, initially, when I was writing it, was, that the baddie gets his just desserts and that she sails off into the sunset to build a new life….but, my baddie isn’t a real baddie, he’s just bitter and twisted, been shafted big time, so, I feel sorry for him, I feel that he just needs love and everything will be ok. What can I say, I’m just a romantic who believes love will conquer all *snigger*
Ooooo, no way, not a series, by the time I’m finished with this lot of characters I’ll be sick of them lol
Xx
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Always like a happy ending – when I finish a book, I always like to think that all wrongs have been right and all nasty characters have got there just deserts. – Life isn’t always that way, so it’s nice to thinking that somewhere in the world there is a happy ending, even if it’s just fiction. well you did ask lol
Look forward to reading the finished book 🙂 x
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Ahhhhh, but can’t a nasty character change? 😉
Thanks hon….hopefully, one day 🙂
Xx
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Editing is tough because it doesn’t have the same sense of accomplishment as a rough draft. The word count becomes a moot point, so you have to redefine what makes an editing session successful. Sometimes that means one sentence was restructured or a entire scene was altered. It takes time, but I found it to be a very interesting process. My novel change significantly from one draft to the next. 🙂
Good luck!
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Thanks hon 🙂
I can imagine! I’m already coming across things that need changing and I’m only on the 1st Chapter! Lol
Xx
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I’m not fussed with happy endings, I just like to understand them. I hate a book/film the leaves you wondering what the bloody hell just happened !!! Xxxx
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That is so annoying! You definitely won’t find that with my book 😉
Xx
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You will obviously be reading it again as editing and changing, so if you get with the character(s) again, you’ll find your ending. It might mean if you are questioning whether it should be a happy ending, that it is a sad one, and you don’t want to do it to your character(s). Do what is true to the story not what you want (if that makes sense).
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Thanks honey, that’s some really great advice….I’m gunna start re-reading it tomorrow lol 🙂
Xx
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Hi Vikki,
I’ve read over some of the comments you replied to, and I’m getting the feeling that deep down you know how you want this story to end. Either way though, once you write it, you will know for sure whether it fits or not. That’s the cool thing about editing–you really can change your mind.
As for me, I’m a huge fan of the bittersweet ending. Happy endings have to make sense for them to work for me, and bittersweet often feels more like it fits a story, instead of tacked on to make everything perfect.
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Thanks Kirsten, you are 100% right! I know what I want to do, Im just looking for back up that I’m doing the right thing lol
Hmmmmm, bittersweet eh, yeah, that would be more interesting wouldn’t it 🙂
Xx
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Go with your gut instinct – you’ve created it!
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thanks Helen, I guess, deep down, I know what I’ve got to do 🙂
Xx
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