And It Was the Man in a Mask All the Time
This ending often surfaces in ghost and horror stories where the supernatural being is really a person in disguise. Fiction requires the reader to suspend belief and allow his imagination to accept the premise of the story as reality. In this story the reader wants to believe in the supernatural entity. But posing a human character as a supernatural being so effectively that the protagonist can’t see through the disguise for the entire novel will disappoint the reader and chop off the peak of the tension. A story should maintain the internal logic the author has written into the plot from the beginning. The climax should be the inevitable last sequence of scenes leading up to it. Changing the entire nature of the supernatural being is akin to climbing a flight of stairs and missing the last step, so the reader’s expectations are never fully realized.
And It Was My Evil Twin; We Were Separated at Birth
With this ending, the reader finds that the tension about who the evil character in the novel is is really just a case of mistaken identity. A variation of this is the stable boy who discovers he is really the lost son of a rich family or royalty who was somehow separated from his family at birth. This ending violates the trust the reader has put in the author to tell a consistent story. By the climax, what the protagonist has to gain or lose must be important enough so that the reader can sympathize with the character’s situation and vicariously participate in it. The reader wants to experience the same emotions as the protagonist. Arriving at the climax and discovering that it was all a mistake or misunderstanding defuses the tension of the climax and makes the protagonist’s quest an exercise in futility, letting down the reader.
Really I’m a Dog/Cat/Alien/Demon/Angel
If the reader thinks for the entire novel that the protagonist is one creature only to find that he is something altogether different, he will feel cheated. When a reader cares about a character, he is not going to like having that character weirdly transformed at the end of the story. The climax should be foreshadowed throughout the novel, leading up to the climax, and each scene should support and anticipate the next. If at the last minute the plot cuts away from the logical progress of the story to drop a contrived surprise twist on the reader, the reader’s imagination will be jarred and he will no longer believe the reality of the world created from the beginning of the novel.
Pun or Play on Words
The entire story is a setup for a putrid pun or a banal play on words at the end. This is most often seen in short stories, but occasionally it will show up in a novel—a trick guaranteed to anger a reader.
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If a writer closely analyzes these endings, it can be seen that they all fail for the same reason. After reading tens of thousands of words, the reader is involved and committed to the story. He knows the characters and cares about them, he knows the setting, and he knows the relationships that drive the interactions between the characters. In other words, he has expectations of what the ending will be based on everything the author has given him since the beginning. When the author uses one of the above endings, he derails the reader’s anticipation of the end and creates a huge intellectual pile-up of disappointment. The author has not delivered on the promise he made to the reader at the beginning of the story. From the artistic point of view of the story, such endings are dishonest. If an author has invested time to create a compelling story for the reader, surely by the end of the story the creative well has not yet run so dry that the author can’t create an equally compelling ending.
A general rule is that if you’ve heard it or seen it before, especially in a popular movie, television program, or bestselling story, it’s probably already overused and you should think twice before including it.
HOW TO END A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL RIGHT
When he writes that first line, an author makes a bargain with the reader. In return for readers buying and reading the author’s book, the author promises that the story will be emotionally and intellectually satisfying. To be successful an author must make good on this promise, because the reader will forget the beginning and remember the ending and will evaluate the work on that memory.
How does an author end a young adult novel so that the reader is satisfied and is looking for other stories by the same writer? First of all, consider that the ending consists of the entire final scene of the story, which is often a number of pages. The ending is made up of the last events and character interactions that close the story. It usually, but not always, wraps up the resolution of the conflict and ties up any loose ends. Sometimes parts of the conflict and certain obstacles remain open but are intensified to dramatize the final decisions made by the protagonist. If something is left unresolved, the ending should provide the reader with a sense of how it might be resolved in the future. Whatever strategy the author uses, it must follow logically with the plot, theme, and tone of the story.
The precursors of a satisfying ending are found at the beginning of the story. Somewhere near the first few pages of plot, an incitement event takes place. This event causes a chain of other events to occur that will eventually lead to the climax and the ending. These events are linked with cause-and-effect relationships, and one event follows logically from the next as the protagonist and other characters react to each situation. At the end, the reader must be able to look back along the length of the chain of events of the plot, see the beginning, and say, “Oh, I get it.” On the other hand, the author should be able to look down the chain from the beginning and see the ending as the last link that effectively ends the story. Many authors write the ending of the story right after the beginning and then fill in the middle. In this way both ends of the chain of cause and effect in the plot can be seen and are firmly anchored.
A formula for a satisfying ending for a story has four parts, although all four may or may not be used in a particular novel, depending on the plot.
1. An Echo of the Plot, Conflict, and Theme
At the end, the reader should be able to look back and see the chain of events that placed the protagonist in his current position. The reader should understand how the protagonist got there and, more important, why he’s there. The events of the plot, the theme, and the resolution of the plot should all add up to the message that a reader will take away from the experience of reading the novel.
2. A Display of the Character’s Feelings
In young adult fiction a change is brought upon the protagonist. He has been through great challenges, and the reader must believe that what has transpired has significance. The reader is sympathetic to the main character and wants to see the effects of overcoming the conflict in the behavior of the character—if only briefly. Deep emotions colored and shaped by the conflict should be on full display at the end.
3. The Impact of the Decision Made by the Protagonist to Resolve the Conflict
To have a good story the outcome of the conflict must be important to the protagonist. In the same way, the decision made by the character must reflect this importance so that when the decision is made it will have a powerful effect. Young adult fiction should reflect real-life choices made by the readers. Seldom do we get exactly what we want. Often, young adult readers must choose among alternatives, all of which may be desirable. They want to see those choices reflected in the books they read.
4. The Future
Given that the protagonist has made a difficult choice, how will he fare in the future? In the final lines an author may wish to hint at possible other conflicts or satisfying scenarios that the character may experience. Some authors add an epilogue to give the reader a peek ahead, but these are not particularly well received by readers who would rather use their own imaginations to plan the character’s future.
HINTS FOR STORY ENDINGS
The following are some suggestions that can be used to design a satisfying ending.
Make Sure the Ending Fits the Story
Successful endings often have multiple layers with more than one thing goin
g on at the same time. In this way, no single character or action has to carry the entire load of wrapping up the story. Throughout the novel, the protagonist shares the experience with other characters in different scenes. The ending should be shared as well.
Be True to Your Characters
If the characters have shown their personalities in a particular way all through the story so far, don’t make a dramatic change as a device to end the story. The reader should have great sympathy for them by now; don’t take that away by creating a new character’s personality in the old character’s body.
Leave a Teaser
Now that the characters have completed the story, there’s nothing wrong with leaving some uncertainty as to what the future will bring, as long as the main conflict has been wrapped up.
Pace the Ending Like the Plot
If the plot has moved along a brisk pace through the story, don’t drag the reader down into a leisurely, lengthy narration or conversation at the end. Keep it moving.
Don’t Add New Information
Avoid introducing new information, characters, objects, scenes, and so on. The story is wrapping up, and everything the reader needs to know to close the story should be on display by now.
Avoid the Trite
The conflict is exceedingly important to the protagonist. For the entire length of the story, the author has tried to link the reader’s emotions to those of the characters in the unfolding plot. When the ending is trite or banal, the reader will be disappointed and dismissive of the theme and message.
Don’t Moralize
Although young adult fiction often has a message for the reader, the ending of the story should be as empty of the direct personality and opinions of the author as possible. The end should be the final demonstration of the theme and the end of the story, pointedly carried by the characters in the final message scene, not in the narrator’s or protagonist’s voice.
Don’t Be Melodramatic
The climax and ending should have the maximum impact on the reader, but avoid melodrama. The tone of the end should follow directly from the tone of the story. Unnecessarily ramping up the emotional content to heighten the impact will be easily recognized as faux tension. There is a fine line between maximum impact and fatal impact, and crossing it will turn the reader off.
Don’t Overwrite
Through the editing process, an author may keep adding more and more layers to the ending scene. This isn’t necessary if the story has been told well. Trust the readers: they’ll understand and remember the meaning without having it told to them again.
Don’t Prolong the Ending, but Don’t Abbreviate It Either
Give the ending as much space as it needs to get the job done, but not too much. Not every detail has to be discussed, nor should the plot be summarized. Take into consideration what the reader knows from the story and build on it to bring it to closure.
CHAPTER 11
GETTING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
For months you’ve been working on your manuscript. You’ve weathered writer’s block for several weeks and made it through to the end. In a blaze of excitement you are raring to start sending it to agents. Stop. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sent the first draft of a manuscript. (How can I tell? Because it’s riddled with typos, errors, and inconsistencies.) You’ve spent so much time working through all the elements of the work; please don’t allow your manuscript to get passed on because of silly mistakes that could have been avoided.
Let me give you an example. I was watching the latest DVD version of a TV show I like. One episode revealed that the main character’s father had abandoned him as a baby. Afterward, I went back and watched the entire show from beginning to end. In season one, this same character mentioned a clear memory of growing up with both his mother and father. Obviously the show’s writers didn’t catch this small change of premise; I might not have caught it had I not been watching all the DVDs back to back. But this small story illustrates exactly why you should carefully read and revise your manuscript after it’s finished—to look for all those little details that need polishing, revising, moving, or cutting. This chapter includes information on rewriting, seeking advice from fellow writers, and developing community through critique groups. It will also cover information on how to get the most out of your participation in writers conferences.
REVISIONS
It may have taken you several months, if not years, to finish your manuscript, and of course you feel like all along the way you have been self-checking for all the pertinent craft elements that we spoke of in earlier chapters. You may have even told yourself, “I’ve done my revisions already on a chapter-by-chapter basis.” If that’s true—excellent. But I urge you to go through the revision process even so; you never know what you may find to improve your manuscript.
Prepare yourself to do a series of revisions. You’ll be the first to revise your manuscript, but you’ll also revise based on feedback from a critique group or writing buddy, your agent, and your editor. The revision process can be very daunting and quite an emotional experience.
There are many ways to go about revising your work. I’ve found that the following process eliminates a lot of the editorial requests for revision that you might otherwise get.
1. Give yourself a little distance from the manuscript. If you have time to put it down for a week or two, great. This will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. You should ask yourself: Why did I write this story? And why should someone read it? Does it really have a core reason to exist?
2. Read the manuscript aloud. Often reading aloud will help you feel the pace. If there’s too much description, you will find yourself getting fatigued by it. If there’s too much dialogue or you have too many characters, you might find yourself getting lost in it.
3. Reread the manuscript in one sitting if possible. Make notes in places that you might need to come back to and look at again, but don’t make corrections at this point.
4. Go back to your notes. Fix those things that instantly popped out at you.
5. Before you arbitrarily start chopping up your manuscript, ask yourself a few overall questions.
a. Content: Does the story have narrative drive, emotional power, and an original style?
b. Character: Are the characters believable?
c. Voice: Does the dialogue sound authentic?
d. Execution: Does the story have sufficient pace and appeal or literary value?
e. Quality of Writing: Does the story have adequate balance of dialogue, description, and action?
f. Age Appropriateness: Is the content age-appropriate in language and message?
7. Start trimming. There’s usually material that can be cut or shortened. Look for inconsistencies, poor transitions, and words repeated too often.
8. Read the first page. Agents and editors pay very close attention to the first couple of pages of your manuscript. Make sure those pages really draw the reader in. Is there something unique about the character or the setup that will make the reader want to continue?
9. Do a grammar and punctuation revision. Don’t get distracted by this too early—it should be the last thing you do. There’s plenty of time to catch these errors later.
As you are revising, don’t worry about how long it will take you to tighten the manuscript. Editors and agents would prefer to see a well-polished manuscript than one that was rushed to their desk, especially after feedback has been provided. Michelle Poploff, vice president and editorial director at Delacorte, says, “I have an open conversational style with my authors. They know they can send me an email asking any questions about the process at any time. We communicate through emails, comments on the manuscript, meet in person when possible, or set up a mutually convenient time for extended telephone conversations. We go back and forth with ideas, suggestions, comments, and so on, for as long as it takes.”
I love revising and tweaking. (In fact, I’m sure my editor for this book at several points had
wished I would just hurry up already.) Understandably, though, not everyone likes revising. But there are a few things to remember about this process.
First, everyone gets edited. I have never—and I do mean never—had a client whose manuscript came in perfect and didn’t get some editorial feedback. So don’t think you’re being singled out.
Also, when you’ve been offered editorial advice from someone in your critique group or even from your editor, you don’t have to take the advice. I say this sheepishly because I don’t want to send the wrong message. To be clear: when given editorial advice you don’t have to necessarily take the suggestion, but you must fix the problem. Author Bethany Hegedeus says, “Working with your editor is like working with a therapist. They help you articulate the vision of what you want and work to guide you, but you still have to do all the work.” I always tell my authors that they must stay true to the vision of their work; be authentic but be flexible. Editors have reasons for making their suggestions, and unless you feel very strongly about it, and sometimes you will, do take the suggestion. If you plan to stick to your idea, you must be able to justify it. And as you are formulating your justification for leaving it, be sure to think of your reader first.
Often you’ll need some time to think about how to make the changes. Be sure that when you make revisions you keep all the varying versions. I always date the file of my manuscripts, and I keep each version so that I can go back to the files later. You’ll find that sometimes things you’ve cut in one round may creep back into your manuscript later, or possibly into a future book.
You don’t have to feel like you are on your own when it comes to revising. There are many ways to get the feedback you need before sending your manuscript out to agents. The remaining sections will give you some examples of how to get others to review your novel.
Writing Great Books for Young Adults Page 13
