Keeping Your Promises

Submitted by Stuart on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 4:54pm

I've seen a lot of discussion on a few writer forums lately about frustrations over their endings. What do you do when you get to a point in your story --The End-- and it feels flat? Or your first readers don't get it? And the hardest question is: What do you do about it?

And if you think this post is about you, it's not. :) And not you either.

Unfortunatly, I don't have the answer, at least, I don't have it spelled out succinctly as a few guys I started listening to this week.

Writing Excuses is a weekly podcast hosted by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. A fantasy novelist, a cartoonist, and a horror novelist. If you're having problems with your ending, I suggest you listen to Episode 29: How not to end your book.

The main thing I took away from the episode was always keep your promises. That interesting dilemma/mystery/character vow you set up in chapter 5? You better make it pay off by the end.

So, if you’re struggling with your ending, give it to a pair of fresh eyes and ask what promises your story made that it failed to keep.


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July, 22 2010

Echoes of Truth is revised and polished. I'm ready to start querying agents, the next step in seeing this novel published. In the meantime, work on the Condotierre is underway. I'm as excited to start this new book as I am to have finished my last.

September, 2 2008

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About the Author

While reading The Fellowship of the Ring at the age of twelve, Stuart A. Etter was told by his teacher that he should be reading shorter books. Undaunted, he finished the trilogy and promptly moved on to other novels ranging from fantasy/sci-fi to historical fiction to horror to thrillers.

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Damion rubbed the dull ache of age from his hands. Countless years wielding a sword had strengthened his tendons and muscles, but time had worn them down, replacing power with chronic pain. Closing his eyes, Damion dreamed of his youth. Battle and victory marked most of his memories, but darker images tainted his successes, reminding him of his one great...

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