Today’s title is stolen from an episode of the television show Bones, because it is very good at titles. Since I am almost halfway done with my projected word count, and I am progressing rapidly through the story, I’m starting to see glimmers of how things could end. Just thin threads, connecting moments that may lead somewhere very understandable at the conclusion.
As you may know if you’ve been following along, I have never finished a story. Not a real story, that proceeds through character growth and major events and offers some kind of resolution. I have only been writing for ten days, and I can feel the end down the road. I did not know until this happened that I am terrified of endings.
Endings are really tricky things. I know this even though I have yet to write one. As a reader, I find them very tricky, because at best they leave you wanting more, and at worst…it can be much, much worse. My perfectionism does not enjoy the idea of an imperfect ending, even though I’m not certain there is such a thing as a perfect one.
My only solution to this slowly building fear is the same as my policy for this entire process: I am not going to think about it. I will write the ending when I come to it, the way I’ve written the rest, so that I don’t even have the option of attempting to craft a perfect end. I think my anxiety disorder will benefit from this strategy, and if I’m lucky, my ending will too.
Today’s word count: 2,455
Total word count: 32,027
Today’s excerpt: He sighed at the incredulous expression on her face. “It wasn’t like we cornered him in a dark alley and stabbed him, McKenna. I gave my blood to a spell. That’s all I did. The spell turned his own actions against him, and the consequences were…severe.”
Thirty Days of Noveling 
I’m terrified of my ending too because I have no clue what that’s going to be. Especially in a book that I intend to be part of a series. But your strategy not to think about it and just let the writing flow is a good one and I’m going to do the same. We will get these novels written no matter what.
Agreed! I shall trust the pantsing gods to provide an ending, and we will see. 🙂
Interesting.
I’m not terrified of endings–in fiction. But, I do have to say that I fear my story won’t really have one–not that I won’t finish, but that my finish won’t be real, won’t end the plot or anything.
The end of your excerpt sounds like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, to me. 🙂
*grin* I would imagine that’s a compliment. Thank you! Unintentional, but yay.
It is TOTALLY a compliment! You know I value the HP world above a lot of others! 🙂 🙂
*grin* Yes, I do, but I also know how you feel about canon in some cases, so I had to assume.
Yeah. Canon and I have a tenuous relationship that is more like respect than love, but still….<3