That Last Chapter . . . .

This is about that "last chapter" in the first draft manuscript of a book. It's that chapter that ties all sorts of events and thoughts together. It's where the conflict (or a subconflict) continues to crescendo, climaxes and then resolves (one way or another). However, even though I'm calling it "the last chapter" it is really my second-to-last chapter and the action will be spilling over in part to actual last chapter.

You might wonder why I am talking about the second to last chapter as if it is really the last chapter. That's because I've written the ending - that bit I like to include that transitions from the subending in my book in the series to the continuation of the story in the next book. That ending is the promise of more to come but also helps keep the reader from feeling annoyed or frustrated by the lack of at least some finality to the immediate conflict at hand. Or at least, that's what I intend it to be.

As a reader, I like things to be somewhat tied up at the end - although in a series, it can't fully be over. If it was, why would I read the next book? At the same time, if the book ends with the army in front of the castle, and I have to read the next book to find out if the characters I love survive, I get quite upset - unless of course, the next book is already out and I don't have to wait. In my case, since I have only a few paragraph started in that next book, and it might be up to a year before I finish it and release it, I wouldn't risk my readers getting mad at me. :)

In any event, why does it seem like this "last chapter" is so much harder to write? When I wrote the other parts, I wrote through the inspiration of the moment knowing that later I would likely rewrite it anyway. That might mean rewriting how I express the events, adding new ideas, or replacing existing ideas with freshly created ones. But this "last chapter" has been different. I have the general idea of what is to happen, but it's the details that are hanging me up. The character I am focused on right now will be doing something very clever and I want to get it just right. And it feels like I am so close, but just need to ponder a little bit more.

In the meantime, maybe I'll put some space in the draft for her role, which I know the ending of, and then write out what the contributing characters will be doing in this conflict. That way, I can keep progressing but still ponder these details that I am working out. In any event, I know that when it "clicks," it will come out fast much like that "AHA" moment.

If you've read this, thank you for listening to my "musings."