The Catholic Writers Guild

As we have been writing our novel, we have been on a journey ourselves, haven’t we? We developed characters, plot, and three-act storyboards. We fixed our office and learned to take our writing seriously. In  act three we come to the end of our journey. What is it about endings that both delight and depress us? As I finish reading or writing a novel, I seem to procrastinate. I don’t want to finish that last chapter, paragraph, or sentence. I know it is a first draft and that it is hardly finished. By the time I go through all the drafts and edits I will be so sick of looking at the novel that I’ll cringe if someone asks me to do a reading. That is later. Right now, I find every excuse not to write that last page. Why?

I know that finishing the first draft will fill me with a sense of accomplishment. Once the first draft is finished, everything is editing. I can take my time. I know that I’m a little strange, but I like doing edits! I can check that each “i” is dotted. I can search for the perfect adjective. I can strengthen each line of dialog and let loose with descriptions of places that will transport my readers.

So why the mixed feelings? Because I feel like I am saying goodbye to my best friends. In a very real sense, I am. I  have lived with my characters from the day I was inspired to create them. I was there the day they took on their own personalities and changed from what I created. I watched as they took over the story and changed the plot according to their newly defined fears, dreams, and experiences. Maybe you think I am crazy, but if your characters don’t come ‘alive’ to you, if they don’t surprise you, or if they don’t become individuals separate from you the author, you have failed. If you don’t believe your characters are real, neither will your readers. So now, as I close the novel, I have very mixed feelings. I want to feel that sense of accomplishment, but I will miss my new friends.

Other than this what can I teach you about the third act? It is a very simple lesson.

ACT THREE IS ALL ABOUT WRAPPING IT UP! And I mean really wrapping up all the loose ends. There is nothing worse for a reader than going through an entire novel and not finding an ending. Wrap up the main plot and don’t forget about all the mini-plots you created along the way. Your reader wants to know what happened to both the main characters and the minor characters. Don’t leave them hanging. Unless you are writing a series and wish to hook your readers for the next book, finish it completely. Even if you are writing a series, you need to wrap up most of your plot and just leave a trail of crumbs to keep your reader following for more.

There is nothing worse than turning a devoted reader into a disappointed enemy. You will never win them back. So answer all the unanswered questions, solve the mystery, resolve the romance, and leave your readers with a sense of satisfaction that they have just read a complete story.

If you finish the story, your readers won’t feel cheated or betrayed.  Say goodbye to your characters and live to tell another tale. Hey! Haven’t those new characters been on the edge of your mind? Haven’t they been  poking you in your dreams? Don’t they have a story to share and wouldn’t you like to meet them?

They will have to wait! Next come the edits!

 

Karen Kelly Boyce lives on a farm in NJ with her retired husband Michael. She has two grown children and two grandchildren. She is an award-winning novelist and writes a children’s series for Chesterton Press