What if…
How many times have you enjoyed a book right up to the end, but when you closed it, you felt unsatisfied? Not in the sense that the ending wasn’t “happy,” but rather that the last chapter seemed slapped together? Or predictable? Or missing something?
Endings are not easy. I recall when my agent mentioned she thought my novel might need an additional scene at the end to “round things out.” Another scene? What could that possibly entail? I was gobsmacked at first. Even though I liked the ending I’d written, I soon found myself thinking, what if…
Exploring alternatives isn’t a bad thing. So, the next day, I got up early to work on revisions. Much of that time was spent staring at my screen, running downstairs for a yogurt, or a coffee, and then going outside to whack at an overgrown bush.
It seemed appropriate. I realized whacking is what we do when we revise anyway.
When whacking makes sense
YA Fantasy writer Michelle Sussman once tweeted that she deleted the last two chapters of her novel and “rewrote them by mixing in [an] awesome new twisted backstory reveal.” That’s quite a shake up.
When I emailed her about it, she said wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending, but passed it on to a few readers for feedback. One of the readers questioned the backstory. Michelle said, “That one tiny innocent question led me to nearly scrap the entire manuscript. I knew his question was valid – in fact, he’d stabbed right at the heart of my manuscript.”
The backstory was tied directly into her final two chapters.
The Rule of Twenty
It took Michelle two days of agonizing over what to do, much of that time spent typing mindlessly in hopes that the answer would magically appear. Then it dawned on her that she’d taken the easy route. She hadn’t pushed herself to explore beyond the first idea that had come to her. She used The Rule of Twenty, where you look past the first ten obvious answers to consider at least 20. She finally found her answer.
“What else could I do but delete the last two chapters, come up with a stronger backstory and rewrite? …. I know changing the backstory and the ending will cause a domino effect of changes in my book, but I believe the entire manuscript will be stronger for it.”
Why twenty? The first ideas are usually the obvious ones. The brain follows well-traveled paths to easy, predictable or stale conclusions. It is only when you push yourself to twenty ideas that you start tapping into original ideas. The first couple of stabs we take when writing an ending may not be as creative as they would be if we kept exploring alternatives.
Look beyond the obvious
It took guts to for Sussman to completely blow apart an ending she’d already written, but she felt the result was worth it. I was glad my agent pushed me to add another chapter to In the Context of Love. Feedback from my readers (and the fact that they want a sequel) confirm I wrote a successful ending.
Shake things up when you’re revising. Sometimes it takes bravery and confidence… and hopping up for another coffee, window gazing, taking a walk, lying awake at night, thinking what if… what if…
We need to give our endings the time they deserve, even if that results in a figurative headache. The outcome might be the reassurance that you had it right the first time, but you’ll never know unless you push yourself.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is the author of the award-winning novel In the Context of Love, a story about one woman’s need to tell her truth without shame.
2017 New Apple Book Awards Official Selection
2016 Sarton Women’s Fiction Finalist
2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
2016 Readers’ Favorite Finalist
2016 USA Book News Best Book Finalist
“…at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey.” ~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of National Book Award Finalist, American Salvage, and critically acclaimed Once Upon a River,and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters
“With tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.” ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller, Deep End of the Ocean
Buy now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication announcement: Linda’s essay “My Horrible Celebrity Crush” is included in this new anthology from McFarland Books!
IDOL TALK: Woman Writers on the Teenage Infatuations that Changed Their Lives
In the midst of acne, social anxiety and training bras are the teen idols that make adolescent life a little more bearable. Whether their cutouts are plastered on bedroom walls or hidden behind locker doors, there is no denying the impact of these stars on young women. This collection of new essays explores with tenderness and humor the teen crushes of the past 50 years–from Elvis to John Lennon to Diana Ross–who have influenced the choices of women, romantically or otherwise, well into adulthood.
IDOL TALK will invite readers to a Ya-Ya Sisterhood-type pajama party as authors share “true confessions” of their own celebrity obsessions. Included are deeply personal musings about such stars as Elvis, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and Davy Jones as well as some nontraditional idols including Bobby Orr, Baryshnikov and Raymond Burr and more.
Edited by Elizabeth Searle and Tamra Wilson
Foreword by Peter Noone
Format: softcover (7 x 10), 252 pages, 70 photos