Writing a Conclusion

Endings can be difficult. As a writer, it often feels like the end of the project I am working on is so far off, until it arrives. It's a challenge with every book, but even more so with a trilogy. I've spent the past few days re-reading Book 3, preparing for another draft. I will likely start that draft soon, but may not finish it until after NaNoWriMo next month.

Overall, I really like this book. It's my favorite of the trilogy, and I feel it delivers a good ending. The ending of Book 2 dictates most of what happens in the first half of Book 3, and then the conclusion of Book 3 is a nonstop, action-packed whirlwind. The last five or six chapters, in particular, took me a long time to write the first time around. Part of that was obviously wanting to get everything just right. Another was the fact that these scenes are unlike any I have written before, and I wanted them to feel real. 

When a reader opens this book, I want them to feel like they are in this battle. Not just watching it from afar, as they might do with a movie. I want them to hear the endless, deafening roar of combat. I want them to smell the unimaginable stench of widespread death. I want them to feel what it's like to be covered in blood and not be entirely sure if it belongs to you or somebody else. It's a hard thing to write, but upon reading, I'm glad I took my time with it the first time around. I'm usually very quick with my first drafts, figuring I can fill in the more minute details later. I'm glad I didn't go that route with this battle. 

Of course, it isn't the true end, not for the characters who are lucky enough to survive, at least. But, that's another challenge in its own right. The events of this book will shape who these people become. The reader won't see them again until later in the larger saga, but I need to know how this will impact them. How will it change the way they handle situations that arise? I think I have a pretty good grip on that now, but time will tell.

Do you enjoy writing endings? What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you? 

Until next week!
~Pete

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