BOY, DO MY CHARACTERS GUIDE ME - GINGER SIMPSON

Cover by Michelle Lee

Author's don't always have an ending in mind...especially when you don't plot. As a "pantser," (commonly known as writing by the seat of one's pants,) my characters drive the story and when it's over, it's over.  I'm often shocked at how my books end, but they always make sense...at least to me.

 In the case of one, I received some bad reviews because there wasn't an obvious HEA.  If you're a history buff, you would most certainly realize that a woman and a half breed could not possibily find that happily ever after in the 1800s since neither would be accepted by their own race...and a half breed didn't actually belong to one.  Doesn't that make sense?  Obviously it didn't to some.

Cover by Michelle Lee

Sarah ended her story with the possibility of the love continuing in modern day, but that wasn't enough...so I combined the second story, Sarah's Passion,  with the first, Sarah's Heart, and hopefully created an ending that fulfilled what most readers want in Sarah's Heart and Passion.


Fiction still requires a degree of reality, especially when it comes to the heart.  Readers read to escape and find the fantasies missing from their own lives, and if the endings are less than satisfactory, you'll hear about it, trust me.  Funny thought, I felt like a traitor to Sarah when I changed her ending.  It was what I pictured for her, but not how she told the story.  Oh well...we must please our audience.

Cover by Michelle Lee

 Being a pantser is like having someone tell you a story.  I never know where it's headed until I get there.  I have faith in my characters, as Rita does, so much so that I rely on them to make the story interesting.   I've been pleased with each and every one of them.

 My primary job  is to add in the smells, tastes and emotions.   In other words...take the story I'm being TOLD and SHOW it to the reader.  If you want to be a good author, you have to do that.  Involving the reader in the story is critical.  They have to be able to step into the character's shoes and be part of the action.

How often have you read a book that makes your heart hurt?  You cry for the heroine/hero or inhale the smell of that apple pie baking in the oven?  Those traits are the sign of great writing.  You've become the lead character in the book and you "feel" what the story is about.  If I can't connect with the characters or don't get a sense of inclusion, I usually don't finish the book.  Too much back story or description can make the reader think, "who cares?" and you don't want that to happen.

I just had to add my two cents worth since I don't "plot."  Yesterday, Rita talked about letting your characters guide you, and boy do I.  In some ways being a "pantser" is a good thing, but it definitely limits you to how your story ends...and in most cases, word count.  My stories star's don't give a hoot about how long or short a book is.

If you'd like to judge for yourself about Sarah's story and the questionnable ending, Sarah's Heart, Sarah's Passion, and Sarah's Heart and Passion are all available on my amazon page.  I'd love to know what you think.

GIVE THEM A SATISFYING ENDING BY RITA KARNOPP

Recently, in a discussion with other authors, there was much controversy whether they had an ending in mind when they started writing their book.  Now, I know I want a satisfying ending but how I’ll get there is about as foggy as my bathroom after a long hot shower.  Who is to say you should have the ending all figured out?  Each writer is different, which is a good thing, or books truly would be boring.

But here’s the thing – what do we consider ‘satisfying?’  The hero and hero kiss and ride off into the sunset?  The hero dies, but the heroine now understands the depth of his love – and why he had to die?  Perhaps it’s the heroine who dies in the arms of her lover, happy to have known love. 

I’m a believer of the ‘satisfying ending’ . . . but there comes occasion when I have to divert this scenario.  My Tango of Death Series is a great example of not being able to finish the book at ‘the end,’ in both books one and two.  Book one, Gypsy Spirit, tells the story of a Gypsy girl who takes it upon herself to document the truth about the atrocities happening to her people during the Holocaust . . . yet – she has two sisters who have gone their own way, struggling to survive – and, therefore, there are two more books to follow (Partisan Heart and Jewish Soul).  I had to weave a story that would encourage or even better yet, make the reader care enough to want to know about her sisters in book two and three.  And I’ll be honest – both endings for books one and two shocked the crap outta me!  I did not know they would end the way they did.  There is no one who appreciates ‘surprise’ more than me!  Even the ending for book three, Jewish Soul, turned into quite the surprise – and believe me I worried I had written myself into a bleak corner with no way out.  But my characters stayed true and showed me the way.

I’ll be honest – when writing the last pages of Jewish Soul . . . I was crying.  If I feel a story to the depths of my soul – I do believe my reader will feel it.  I only know that my characters have a way of leading me through their journey, sharing with me their reactions, feelings, and growth along the way.  I let them tell their story through my fingertips.

So why do writers struggle with their endings?  I’m not sure I can answer that.  But I do know one thing – you can’t force an ending.  This might be where the problem is coming from.  Characters don’t like to be manipulated.  If you’re struggling to find an ending . . . backtrack and see if you’re heading your characters in the wrong direction.  Maybe you missed a clue they gave you – or you haven’t resolved all the issues that arose during the story and your character(s) want you to reconsider.  Don’t force it; you won’t like how it feels or how it ends.  If that is the case – don’t submit it until you fix it.

Know when to quit.  I think this was a problem years ago – more than today with the shorter page limits.  When a book was 95,000 to 130,000 words it had to really cover a lot of territory.  Many stories could have been told in half the number of words, but didn’t because of that horrendous word count.  I’ve read many books where I’ve thought, this book should have ended right here.   I wouldn’t be surprising if the writer knew that too.  It’s a grievous error to create one . . . two . . .  or even three places your book could have ended.  Once the issues are resolved and the struggle is over – so is the story.  Follow the rule, less is more.

I think the most grievous of endings is the ambiguous one.  It reeks of amateur or beginning writer.  No reader wants to have the ending left up to their imagination.  There is no resolution . . . as a matter of fact they want the ending to be a bit of a surprise or even a tear jerker – but ‘you decided?’  Never!  The reader expects an ending – give them one!

Do not give your reader the ‘contrived resolution’ that was never foreshadowed anywhere - the ‘red herring’ so to speak.  It infuriates me, the reader, and I will never read another book by that author, because I feel tricked.

The reader has expectations.  The resolutions at the end of the book must not disappoint . . . just don’t make it so obvious that it becomes a yawner.  Build intensity, giving your reader a lot of anticipation for the ending.  Never leave them disappointed – satisfaction will keep them thinking about your book for years to come.  It will also make the reader look for other books you’ve written . . . so they can be satisfied again . . . and again!