so long, fare well...

Ruth2 · Sep 6, 2009

Anyone else here get the blues when you come to the end of your WIP? If you do, what d you do to make the partling less sorrowful?

I've got about 10% to go, and I'm really bummed out about ending it. This happened when I wrote my plays too-- at the same place too-- and if everything tracks the same, I'm going to be in a major funk for a while.

maestrowork · Sep 6, 2009

Look at it as another phase of your relationship. You still have rewrites to do, right? It's not done yet.

And start your next book. It will make the "grieving" process easier.

Salis · Sep 6, 2009

Nah, for whatever reason, doesn't bother me at all. I'm not very sentimental about my characters, though. I try to invest them with real personalities, but in the end I never forget they're just figments of my imagination. If I kill off a major character, the question I ask myself is not, "Will I miss this person?" but, "Will the story be boring without this person around?"

Ken Schneider · Sep 6, 2009

Ruth2 said:
Anyone else here get the blues when you come to the end of your WIP? If you do, what d you do to make the partling less sorrowful?

I've got about 10% to go, and I'm really bummed out about ending it. This happened when I wrote my plays too-- at the same place too-- and if everything tracks the same, I'm going to be in a major funk for a while.

Start another piece and start all over again.

The emotional connection to a work can be overly strong, and writing a new book can break the bonds, and make that first work what it is, for sale.

Freelancer · Sep 6, 2009

If I really love my WIP, it's hard to finish and leave it. Of course, it's a damned good feeling if it's ready, but it's hard to leave that world what you love. Sometimes even hard to leave a chapter behind. For me every chapter is a unique travel into the world of fantasy. But as always, as one dream is fulfilled, another one comes.

Although there is a character what I really like and developed her very well. I used to use her in other of my works too on different ways, keeping her major traits, reshaping her here and there, but the essence remains, sometimes even her name remains the same. She is my main MC.

I've got about 10% to go, and I'm really bummed out about ending it.

For me 5% to go, and it's already hard as I look ahead, because I love to shape this world, figuring out the details, the conflicts and shaping everything in it. Even if I know it's not over at the end, but it will be hard to leave this world.

For me the hardest to look back to the already finished works, when they're already produced and published. I always ask from myself; what should I do different in them now? But as they produced, or published, unfortunately they cannot be changed.

Samantha's_Song · Sep 6, 2009

Yeah, I feel the same way you do Ruth. It's like you're sort of saying au revoir to a close friend/s, but new ones come along when you start a new project. I still think of many of the past characters I've written about.

Cella · Sep 6, 2009

I'm on my 2nd rewrite and I could throw every one of my characters out of a window--but in a good way

Maybe write a story about your favorite character leading up to their introduction in the story you're about to finish?

Samantha's_Song · Sep 6, 2009

or if your not in a rush to start a new novel to be published, one day, then write a sequel or prequel, even if it's only for your own personal satisfaction.

Cella said:
Maybe write a story about your favorite character leading up to their introduction in the story you're about to finish?

MGraybosch · Sep 6, 2009

Ruth2 said:
Anyone else here get the blues when you come to the end of your WIP? If you do, what d you do to make the partling less sorrowful?

Not me. Not yet. I still have a metric shitload of work to do, being only 48,000 words into the second draft of a WIP whose first draft was 290,000 words. As it is, I'm probably going to have to split this into two novels. I have plenty of work to do, and no time to get the blues just yet.

Madison · Sep 6, 2009

IT'S NOT OVER!

There's still hope. Lots of hope -- because you can still edit. Editing is the best part. Then you can write a sequel or a trilogy... Then you can work through revisions with an agent and an editor... and then read chunks of it at book signings after it hits the shelves. It's far from over...

But I know what you mean. It's depressing to finish a book.

James D. Macdonald · Sep 6, 2009

I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

It's fun.

MGraybosch · Sep 6, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

I have a whole bunch of outtake chapters where the characters realize they're in a novel, take a sledgehammer to the fourth wall, and thoroughly mock the story. Sure, it's self-parody, but only my wife need know about it.

Ruth2 · Sep 6, 2009

Thanks, all of you for writing in. Yes, I still have rewrites to do and all that but I don't want to let go. (I even need to kill off a major character and I'm dragging my feet over that.) Plus I realized I've got foreshadowing that would let me extend this to a sequel, and I told myself that I wouldn't do that-- so many people write paranormal fantasy with the idea of having sequels if not trilogies or series. I figured an agent might be relieved to have a stand alone.

I like the idea of a cast party. However, my characters have already been so inappropriate, I don't think even a pink pantied donkey would help. Self-parody now that might work....

Thanks, y'all!

James D. Macdonald · Sep 6, 2009

The characters you kill get to come back in the Cast Party chapter. It was all special effects and makeup anyway, and they'll get other roles in other books you write.

Ugawa · Sep 6, 2009

I've never been as sad to say goodbye to my characters as I was when I finished Mr. ITC.

Rick and Callum made me laugh, cry, smash my head against a wall and want to beat some sense into them. It's like I'm losing two great friends.

But look on the brightside, you still have edits to go through. That should give you another few weeks/months to say goodbye.

Telstar · Sep 7, 2009

maestrowork said:
start your next book.

+1

Charlie Horse · Sep 7, 2009

Usually by the time I see the end of a novel in sight, I'm all ready chomping at the bit to start something new. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Ken Schneider · Sep 7, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

It's fun.

I did that, and it was fun.

I posted here for giggles.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4011984#post4011984

scarletpeaches · Sep 7, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

It's fun.

What a fantastic idea!

*steals*

thethinker42 · Sep 7, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

It's fun.

Oh God. I must do this.

In fact, I might do this for all of my characters. From all of my books.

Given the genre I write, this could get interesting...

C.M.C. · Sep 7, 2009

I was happy to see it come to an end. It had been a long enough process, and the thought of actually having accomplished something was far more intriguing to me than trying to keep things going because I might miss the process.

maestrowork · Sep 7, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
I write a final chapter that the editor is never going to see, that's a cast party for the characters in the book. They wear loud Hawaiian shirts, drink beer, and behave in inappropriate ways.

It's fun.

scarletpeaches said:
What a fantastic idea!

*steals*

thethinker42 said:
Oh God. I must do this.

In fact, I might do this for all of my characters. From all of my books.

Given the genre I write, this could get interesting...

I do that, too. I wrote an "epilogue" for my last book which was pretty much a cast party (and then what happened?) and of course, I never included it in the actual manuscript. But you know what, it serves as an opening/part of a potential sequel!

Wonderlander · Sep 7, 2009

Y'know, I've been angsting horrifically over the sequel notes for my novel, and writing a cast party where they discuss it while getting increasingly out of control and hammered sounds a *brilliant* idea.

MsGneiss · Sep 7, 2009

Has never happened. By the time I get to The End, I'm usually ready for the break, and already thinking about the next project.

scarletpeaches · Sep 7, 2009

You know what's weird? At the end of a five-and-a-half-months period of writing Book #1's first draft, I burst into tears. I missed those guys.

It took me a fortnight to edit the book. After those two weeks, I fucking hated the bastiges.

so long, fare well...

Tam, na Koncu Drevoreda

Fear the Death Ray

You Lie!

Absolute sagebrush

At least I don't need backing-up

Cella

At least I don't need backing-up

Lunch Break Novelist

summertime...

Your Genial Uncle

Lunch Break Novelist

Tam, na Koncu Drevoreda

Your Genial Uncle

It's a catastrophic success!

I create people

Speaking in metaphors

Absolute sagebrush

Abnormal Romance Author

Archetype

Fear the Death Ray

Bird In Flight