And they all lived happily ever after ...Or did they? On Sunday, I cycled across from church to the town hall in that lovely kind of sunshine that bounces off the rainy ground. I was going to Laura Barnett’s workshop called ‘How to Finish Your Novel’. Endings are so important; they’re pivotal, what you’ve been waiting for and working towards, the things you’re left with to mull over when you close the book and put it back on the shelf. Endings are also controversial (as we found out through differing opinions even between workshop members!) I may think who doesn’t love a good Disney finish, usually rounded off with true-love’s-kiss and a big, happy-clappy dance number? But sure enough, some people don’t take kindly to such a thing. They would prefer a much more gritty or difficult, I hasten to say realistic, even unresolved ending. Through discussion, reading and writing exercises, Barnett helped us by exploring an ending’s role, different types and which genres lend themselves to which kind. Whether you plump for a dramatic twist or something comfortable and predictable, Barnett emphasised the importance of it all making sense. It must be consistent and logical and the reader must be satisfied...perhaps not happy, but satisfied. She was such a lovely, friendly and encouraging person, and I very much look forward to reading her book The Versions of Us. Sometimes the best ideas are simple and come from somewhere profound inside you. Every single writer I’ve ever met has a few books in their drawer that will never get anywhere. So there you have it - a trilogy. Back to the Future, Toy Story, Lord of the Rings and now this. Albeit not quite in the same league, but a trilogy nonetheless.
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AuthorMegan Kate Chester Archives
June 2017
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