tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post5514888953966282250..comments2024-03-12T01:48:28.637-06:00Comments on Margo Berendsen: What's harder, beginnings or endings?Margo Berendsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-61665552852942860542012-12-06T16:25:00.010-07:002012-12-06T16:25:00.010-07:00Congrats, Margo!!!!
You have a very good point. U...Congrats, Margo!!!!<br /><br />You have a very good point. Until now, I though beginnings were tough because it's so easy to start in the wrong place, and you have to grab the reader's attention ASAP. But now that you've mentioned it, ending ARE tough, too, when you consider all those things that are important. <br /><br />And lets not go into how difficult the the middle part is. :PStina Lindenblattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-40355755029945244812012-12-06T14:44:33.018-07:002012-12-06T14:44:33.018-07:00Congratulations, Margo! I think beginnings are eas...Congratulations, Margo! I think beginnings are easier; at least during the first draft, there's no wrong way to start, but by the end, well, you have to wrap everything up and have the characters act in ways that fit them. Or you can have them wake up and realise everything was a dream...Sophia Rnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-16889028353900136732012-12-06T13:05:45.340-07:002012-12-06T13:05:45.340-07:00Congratulations Margo!
I find beginnings and endin...Congratulations Margo!<br />I find beginnings and endings equally challenging.Akossiwa Ketoglohttp://twitter.com/akossketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-34466231782115076942012-12-06T11:33:23.389-07:002012-12-06T11:33:23.389-07:00love it when writers refer to their novels as bein...love it when writers refer to their novels as being alive and full of attitude! Hear, hear!berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-41262316845136940302012-12-06T11:27:59.850-07:002012-12-06T11:27:59.850-07:00THat's why it was nice "splitting" t...THat's why it was nice "splitting" the middle between the first half I did earlier this year and the second half I did for NaNo, because middles are hard. It helped that I put a huge twist right in the middleberendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-2866038717403144752012-12-06T11:26:27.979-07:002012-12-06T11:26:27.979-07:00I am *dying* to send you something to read...if I ...I am *dying* to send you something to read...if I could just get it cleaned up! (these NaNo events tend to get me off track)berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-36435368757639895012012-12-06T11:23:44.377-07:002012-12-06T11:23:44.377-07:00Yes! I believe in totally abusing/manipulating NaN...Yes! I believe in totally abusing/manipulating NaNo in anyway that results in more writing!berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-8209314628274607942012-12-06T11:23:01.606-07:002012-12-06T11:23:01.606-07:00I find I need more time to write endings, probably...I find I need more time to write endings, probably because i have to recharge that creative energy you mentioned!berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-70354762066442937542012-12-06T11:12:56.913-07:002012-12-06T11:12:56.913-07:00depressed and ecstatic - perfect description. we a...depressed and ecstatic - perfect description. we are such weird mixed up creatures aren't we, as writers?berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-78169036631479154412012-12-06T11:11:19.034-07:002012-12-06T11:11:19.034-07:00First draft beginnings are easy for me, but the pr...First draft beginnings are easy for me, but the problems you mention - that's why the beginnings always get me with revisions!!! I revise the beginnings ten times more than endings.berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-41510426149505088512012-12-06T11:10:16.819-07:002012-12-06T11:10:16.819-07:00oh don't even get me started on edits and revi...oh don't even get me started on edits and revisions! You're right those are the worst :)berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-20572084118419732222012-12-06T11:06:57.493-07:002012-12-06T11:06:57.493-07:00I always have an ending in mind too as a general g...I always have an ending in mind too as a general goal, but getting it to be a surprise or to have a twist... that's what drives me crazy.berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-5288739313725129472012-12-06T11:05:18.895-07:002012-12-06T11:05:18.895-07:00Ah yes, the problem of killing characters - I just...Ah yes, the problem of killing characters - I just killed two of them during NaNo. What keeps me going with those characters is the desire to make the reader get attached to them, so that when they get killed, ouch!berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-74332039157695754972012-12-06T10:54:01.336-07:002012-12-06T10:54:01.336-07:00True story. There are stretches that come easily t...True story. There are stretches that come easily to me, but it's not easy to guess where those easy stretches will show up!berendsen70noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-36773089376915783172012-12-05T08:09:37.747-07:002012-12-05T08:09:37.747-07:00Umm, I think ALL of it is hard, LoL! Actually it r...Umm, I think ALL of it is hard, LoL! Actually it really depends on the story. Sometimes the beginning is tougher, sometimes the end.<br /><br /><br />Congrats on finishing NaNo!!Laura Marcellahttp://lauramarcella.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-88489035818903770572012-12-05T08:00:35.895-07:002012-12-05T08:00:35.895-07:00I am awesome at beginnings. Hence the strong start...I am awesome at beginnings. Hence the strong start to NaNo this year... I suck at endings. So much harder to stay invested, especially if you know you're going to kill one (or more) of the characters off... Middles are hard, too... I thought knowing how I was going to end my novel would make it easier to get there. Yeah. I was wrong. But! I haven't given up hope. I will write this novel and write it well.Elisabeth Kauffmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-44849604126726276862012-12-04T19:21:57.260-07:002012-12-04T19:21:57.260-07:00Hi Margo, congratulations!! I agree with you in th...Hi Margo, congratulations!! I agree with you in that endings are MUCH harder than beginnings. In addition to everything you've said may be the psychological aspect of it. When you start, you don't have much to lose, you're just exploring a new story. But by the time you have to finish it you've invested hours, days, months, (years?) of work. There's a lot more at stake. Not to mention you can start in a variety of ways but the ending has to be perfect *and* emotionally satisfying for the reader (that's a lot of pressure!)Lorenanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-56500991561148904752012-12-04T10:25:36.978-07:002012-12-04T10:25:36.978-07:00Congrats on winning NaNoWriMo! I think both beginn...Congrats on winning NaNoWriMo! I think both beginnings and endings can be hard. I spent a lot of time revising both in my manuscript.Ghenet Myrthilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-53282519512466357002012-12-04T06:02:51.972-07:002012-12-04T06:02:51.972-07:00I definitely think endings are harder. Readers all...I definitely think endings are harder. Readers allow a bit of time for the start to get going, but by the end the expectations are sky high for a satisfying climax. I always try to have an ending in mind before I start 9even if it's just to kid myself I know where I'm going).<br /><br />mood<br /><a href="http://moodywriting.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Moody Writing</a>mooderinonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-7658255965913790322012-12-04T01:23:59.926-07:002012-12-04T01:23:59.926-07:00Congrats at succeeding at NaNo, despite the diffic...Congrats at succeeding at NaNo, despite the difficulties! ~\o/~<br /><br /><br />As for Beginnings Vs. Endings, I personally find beginnings more difficult. There are countless ways that a story can start, and all those possibilities can be paralyzing, to say the least. However, with endings, by the time I actually reach one, all that's been written before pretty much solidifies which direction it should go in, so it's much easier for me, even when it's still not easy.Heather Holdenhttp://twitter.com/edgyauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-61315708561108931912012-12-03T20:41:32.927-07:002012-12-03T20:41:32.927-07:00Writing the last sentence of a novel is a weird mi...Writing the last sentence of a novel is a weird mix of emotions to say the least. And I personally think whatever I'm working on at the moment is the hardest part. A few weeks ago it was revisions and edits. A few months ago it was endings. Starting book two now, so this week the hardest thing is beginnings. LOLJeff Hargettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-52709879473094751352012-12-03T19:50:42.185-07:002012-12-03T19:50:42.185-07:00Congratulations!! Wonderful news.
Endings are to...Congratulations!! Wonderful news.<br /><br /><br />Endings are tough for me too. I'm not quite sure if it's because everything is so complicated, or if it's because by the end the story had sapped every bit of creative energy from my soul. :)CM Kellernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-12240521618262631062012-12-03T18:28:14.324-07:002012-12-03T18:28:14.324-07:00Hurray for making it!!!
And I agree, endings are ...Hurray for making it!!!<br /> And I agree, endings are MUCH harder. And after all the work, you finish, and feel slightly depressed and ecstatic all at once. Which is a weird mix of emotions to have...Jack Lewis Baillothttp://twitter.com/MsJackLBaillotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-60397541331863649542012-12-03T17:54:06.727-07:002012-12-03T17:54:06.727-07:00That's what I'm going to do next November ...That's what I'm going to do next November I think, if I don't get around to it this coming summer. I am going to try to finish the novel I started a few years ago during NaNoWriMo.ilovebooks1972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150746199598958569.post-30965688210853770982012-12-03T17:44:46.729-07:002012-12-03T17:44:46.729-07:00Yay, Margo! Woot!
Endings. Totally.Yay, Margo! Woot!<br /><br /><br />Endings. Totally.Barbara Watsonnoreply@blogger.com