I am at that point in the book where I need to make the choice, there is always a choice in any book you write. Do you want to extend or do you want turn the corner and head for the finish line.
So, when is the right time to wrap up any book. If it's something you love and you're having a blast writing the story then this decision is all the more harder to make. Lets be honest whilst we are on a roll who would want to get to the point where it stops.
However, if you've reach a block it can be sometimes be a little to easy to close it out too soon instead of blasting on through the hard parts.
So which path will I take, to close it down or open it up and take to a whole new level.
Right, so here's where I need to take a heartbeat rating of the work so far. What do I mean by this?
Well let me tell you:
- Am I getting bored of the subject?
- Am I running out of ideas?
- Do I know how to finish it / want to finish it?
- Is there room for another book?
- Am I on a deadline / feel under pressure to conclude?
- Have I lost faith in the book and its direction?
OK, so some of the above questions are a little OTT but in short this is the kind of thing I ask myself each time I start a new chapter or think about a major plot point. I recommend you do to.
If all of the above are answered with a negative response then odds are you need to stop writing on this project. Stop now before you do any damage. If the answers are positive then either push on or strap wrapping up.
I will talk about the end game of novels and writing a little later but for now there are two ways out of my current situation:
- Turn left and head for the end.
- Turn right and keep on pushing and adding.
Either way, you and only you will know when the end is right and when just one more chapter will be the right thing to do.
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