Taking a sharp turn right before home

[Gwenzilla]

It's been a long time coming, but I'm about to finish the project that I'm working on. This novel has been my first real attempt to write from an outline and have things pretty much planned the whole way through, and it's been a liberating experience. I ramble less when I know where I'm going, it seems.

So I've had this novel outlined for more than a year, and I've made only minor changes to the way I'd planned for things to go. I ended up with two or three possible endings, and a few weeks ago, I decided which ones of those I wanted to go with. That ending left one unresolved problem, but it wasn't bugging me too much at the time--

--and now it is. Three weeks later, I have an almost insatiable desire to tie up this one loose end, not necessarily by making everybody live happily ever after (not hardly!), but just to give it an ending, so to speak.

Is it a good idea to do this, or should I stick with my outline? Is this one of those areas where, like one of those multiple choice exams, I should stick with my first instinct and not go back and change my answer? Or can it be productive to explore that little side trip just before the end?

[Maprilynne]

I deviated from my ending (That I also have had plotted out for over a year) just last week and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the result. Stew on it for a while and see how you feel. Then, copy/paste the old ending into a new file so you can switch it back if you have the writer's version of buyer's remorse.

Maprilynne

[Gwenzilla]

I havent written either ending yet, but the idea of writing both is probably a good one. Thanks. :)

[Imelda]

Yup, I think you should write both.

However ... unless this is an ongoing project, you really should tie up ALL the loose ends.

[Gwenzilla]

I did have this idea that the potential loose end could be tied up and given its complete plot-ly due by Book II, but then I also really want to make sure I have a book that's whole and complete within itself, since I hate reading things that are obviously going to have a sequel. Cliffhanger endings (this wouldn't have been one) are on my list of gottahates.

Thanks for the advice. :)

[Jamesaritchie]

I'm not sure anything is as frustrating as a story that has a loose end left hanging there. There has to be some sort of resolution to that loose end, even if it's an unhappy one.

[Saundra Julian]

We have a murder in our first book that we solved this way... homicide by person or persons unknown.

This could be construed as a loose-end, but it worked well for us and our readers can't wait to find out (in book two or maybe, book three ) if the protagonist killed the man!

[Linda Adams]

I always think of an outline as a starting place for the story and not locked in stone. The ultimate goal should be to go for what works best for the story itself. If I'd stuck precisely to my original outline for the existing project, I'd still have a book that doesn't work.

[janetbellinger]

I deviate from my outline all the time. I've changed my ending in my current WIP several times.

[PeeDee]

What's the worst that'll happen if you wander from your outline? There are no Outline Police who will come get you, children shall not flee from you in the streets, you shall not be sent to a small island to live in exile with those of your kind, the Outline-Deviators, where your only source of comfort shall be Saint Damien the Outline-Deviator.

That is to say, you'll be fine. Deviate away. Being at the end of your book, you now have a much better idea of the shape of your novel than you did when you were just beginning and wrote the outline.

[Bartholomew]

What's the worst that'll happen if you wander from your outline? There are no Outline Police who will come get you, children shall not flee from you in the streets, you shall not be sent to a small island to live in exile with those of your kind, the Outline-Deviators, where your only source of comfort shall be Saint Damien the Outline-Deviator.


He's LYING! It's all true!

By Saint Damien, I've been imprisoned on this lsland for years! HELP ME!

HELP!

<Rest of post Squashed by Though Police>

[iggypopforyou]

I have found myself sometimes tossing a book without finishing the ending when I felt the author was giving up on their commitment to the quality of story telling they adhered to throughout the rest of the book, and just wanted to get things over with - when I felt they couldn't wait to see their hand scribbling, "The End" onto their well-thumbed manuscript. I have tossed a lot of books for this reason and when I got down to the last pages of what I was writing, I felt myself also rushing towards an ending I had already plotted out and when I realized I was doing this, I stopped and left it sitting unfinished for weeks.
When I returned one night and began to write - keeping in mind the plan I had, the damn thing started to write itself as if the life my story had taken on, suddenly knew more than I did about how it wanted to end, like any live
being might do. So I allowed this to happen and when I saw myself typing "The End." I was almost frightened at how easy it finally was - once I had allowed this to happen.

So you may deviate from your original choice of endings, but don't deviate from, or compromise the quality you had written with to get you to the point you're at now. Chose your approach to the ending carefully, and take equal care with the departure. Don't get tired of the ride and speed towards home - cruise to your destination so you get home in one piece, safe and sound.
A humble opinion.
brian