tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post409892882641454298..comments2023-10-08T03:29:16.941-05:00Comments on Aaron Polson: Why I Begin with the EndAaron Polsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15173267932358617304noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-31131329778263407902009-05-26T07:37:34.638-05:002009-05-26T07:37:34.638-05:00I start with a beginning and a general idea of the...I start with a beginning and a general idea of the ending, but mostly I do character work. I figure that if I've got a compelling voice to start with, half the battle is done. What happens to that voice can be jiggled and niggled until it's interesting.<br /><br />I just like saying 'niggled.'Carrie Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893023777471521703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-22059168460287544042009-05-25T11:08:30.903-05:002009-05-25T11:08:30.903-05:00With novels, I think it's good to know where you'r...With novels, I think it's good to know where you're going. Harlan Coben once said it's like taking a cross-country drive -- you know where you're starting and where you want to end up, but you don't know how you'll get there and what will happen along the way. <br /><br />Now with short stories ... Charles D'Ambrosio once said that if he knows how a story will end, he'll stop writing or try to take it a different direction. Mostly because if he knows how the story is going to end, he'll start leading his characters in that direction and the whole thing becomes inorganic. Or something like that. <br /><br />So ... different strokes for different folks.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11958488745475196164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-29728926201269634692009-05-24T17:45:05.579-05:002009-05-24T17:45:05.579-05:00I usually have something in mind and its interesti...I usually have something in mind and its interesting because I started a story recently without an ending in mind and still have no idea how to finish it.Danielle Birchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11796467053451208102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-31444038268303266092009-05-23T16:21:32.994-05:002009-05-23T16:21:32.994-05:00Makes perfect sense!
Also, I do the same thing Na...Makes perfect sense!<br /><br />Also, I do the same thing Natalie. Starts with a character before anything else. Neat!Kateyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05727622678452936037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-67681369000581023752009-05-23T02:36:53.028-05:002009-05-23T02:36:53.028-05:00Most of the time, when I sit down to write I've go...Most of the time, when I sit down to write I've got nothing but a title, or a single character in mind. Everything goes from there.<br /><br />I'm thinking I should take one of my shelved projects and try working it backwards. Maybe that'll help!<br /><br />Thanks, Aaron!Jodi Lee (Morrighan)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11255981908084653157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-62318775851631265232009-05-22T22:45:12.925-05:002009-05-22T22:45:12.925-05:00Good advice...I often get stuck at the "OK, what h...Good advice...I often get stuck at the "OK, what happens at the end" part. I could definitely work on my ending skills.Jeremy D Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16014827537536982326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-18248068733648551302009-05-22T21:25:26.006-05:002009-05-22T21:25:26.006-05:00I'm bad about not knowing where a story is going w...I'm bad about not knowing where a story is going when I start it. With novels, there's lots of time to work the plot out as I go (although usually I have a pretty good idea of how I want it to end), but with stories I have to know right away or the end isn't so much an end as a stop. Those are the stories that get retired before they see a slushpile, usually.K.C. Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12467201304235217944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-41391048504791361802009-05-22T18:45:20.077-05:002009-05-22T18:45:20.077-05:00I usually have the last line in my head right from...I usually have the last line in my head right from the off, hopefully something with a strong impact. The difficult part is then building towards that with some kind of cohesion.<br /><br />I’ll also have key phrases or images that I try to use as anchor points for the rest of the story. <br /><br />It’s definitely all about a strong ending though.L.R. Bonehillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12230668510378453367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-50715879642267426532009-05-22T15:57:34.506-05:002009-05-22T15:57:34.506-05:00Nine times out of ten, I start with a character. B...Nine times out of ten, I start with a character. By figuring out their personality and interpersonal relationships, I map out the story in my head. When everything else is done (mentally) I ask myself, "And where is this going?" Based on my conclusion, I either write the story or move on to another idea. <br /><br />For example: "Relentless Sodomy: The Musical!" is based on a picture of a guy holding a broom.Fox Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05487359877190292039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-34553237453789028332009-05-22T13:10:41.216-05:002009-05-22T13:10:41.216-05:00Many of my short stories have no ending in mind, b...Many of my short stories have no ending in mind, but because I work from a very rough outline for longer works I know where they are going. <br /><br />Although, sometime the best laid plans are soon foiled by a surprise that you can't foresee.Jamie Eyberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05875759697016701358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-52427686757754978082009-05-22T11:44:04.569-05:002009-05-22T11:44:04.569-05:00Sometimes I have an ending and sometimes I don't. ...Sometimes I have an ending and sometimes I don't. I prefer it when I do. I wrote an entire book where I didn't know how it was going to end and boy was that ending bad, bad, bad.Cate Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05634397106201021055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-26033784328861416232009-05-22T10:42:41.718-05:002009-05-22T10:42:41.718-05:00When I'm running with my initial idea for a story ...When I'm running with my initial idea for a story I try to get the entire thing in point form on a single page (yes, the ending too).<br /><br />I am in agreement with Samantha that the story often ends differently than the initial plan.Alan W. Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17067022519729701245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-81376260148203121182009-05-22T10:21:14.648-05:002009-05-22T10:21:14.648-05:00The novel that made me write the post, Broken Skie...The novel that made me write the post, Broken Skies, began with the ending. It took me forever to come up with a beginning, actually...Barry Napierhttp://www.barrynapierwriting.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-67817146518355443882009-05-22T10:12:30.382-05:002009-05-22T10:12:30.382-05:00Katey - I think some writers "fall down" because t...Katey - I think some writers "fall down" because they don't go back and rewrite to fit where the story went. Make sense?<br /><br />Samantha - I've heard some editors gripe that short story writers are notorious for lousy endings. I'm glad to hear others care about these things, too.Aaron Polsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15173267932358617304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-18590956564429540112009-05-22T10:07:31.024-05:002009-05-22T10:07:31.024-05:00I start with endings the majority of the time. Fo...I start with endings the majority of the time. For me, endings are usually the most important part of a story (when I'm reading anyway), and if a book or story ends badly, than it taints the rest of it for me. I just have a hard time writing, if I don't know where it's going. This isn't to say that my endings turn out like anything that I had planned, just that I did in fact, have one planned in the first place.Samanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18189862726313948541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604033530537822263.post-83720342556525212472009-05-22T09:17:23.508-05:002009-05-22T09:17:23.508-05:00And that's what I mean about knowing what you're d...And that's what I mean about knowing what you're doing. Perfect!<br /><br />Man, sometimes I start a story without really knowing where it's going, but then once I figure it out I invariably go back and re-write everything before I figured it out. Anything before that it just a writing exercise.Kateyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05727622678452936037noreply@blogger.com