THE END ?

[Dana-Lynn]

Just thought it'd be kind of fun to see who actually types THE END when they finish a first draft of their WIP and/or do you still type it when you finish the final draft of your novel?
:e2BIC:



For me personally, I was sooooooo excited that I stuck with it and actually finished my very first novel, I HAD to type THE END!
I've never been able to do that with a novel before! LOL!

:e2woo:

[Elaine Margarett]

No. No, "The End," for me.

Don't know why, but I just don't like it. Kind of like stating the obvious, LOL.

Smiles,
EM

[Phaeal]

CGs on your accomplishment, Dana-Lynn! Frame the page with that first THE END on it.

I type THE END on the drafts of novels for my own satisfaction. For editors, it's more than just a small trumpeting of triumph. As novel manuscripts are normally unbound and can go through a lot of hands at the publishing house, there's always a chance some final pages could have gone missing. Page numbering and THE END reassure readers that they've got the whole thing on their desks.

I've submitted to a couple markets that even asked for THE END on the last page of short story manuscripts. For them, I make a special END page. ;)

[HeronW]

I put 'the end' if requested for submission--if it's uncertain to the ed. that the last line really is it because the line is close to the bottm, but not when I've finished writing. There's more the characters are going to do whether in sequel or in a series.

[RG570]

I do it, purely for practical reasons.

See, it tells me when, at least at the time, the story has ended. Very useful if something strange happens and I leave the story for a long period of time and encounter memory problems.

[Feathers]

Shoot. Didn't we just have this thread somewhere?

-Feathers

[CDarklock]

To me, and perhaps this is abnormal, "THE END" means "No, I will not write a sequel, ever, under any circumstances, for any amount of money".

When I read it, I never ever believe it - because if I wrote it, I could never ever mean it.

Just like when Stephen King says "I'm retired". Suuuuuuure you are. I know better. Steve writes; it's what he does; it's what he'll always do. He will have at least one unfinished manuscript in his desk when he leaves this world. He can't retire any more than I can.

[stormie]

In my mind, it's never really the end. There's second draft, third draft, revisions that an agent or editor wants. Also, neither agents nor editors need to see those words. If you really feel the need to type something, then # or ## centered, will do. William Shunn discusses this here (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html). (Scroll toward the end.) Or,again if you need to see those words "The End," type them, then delete it when you're ready to submit.

(By the way, it's discussed here (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97695), just recently.)

[thethinker42]

For me personally, I was sooooooo excited that I stuck with it and actually finished my very first novel, I HAD to type THE END!
I've never been able to do that with a novel before! LOL!

:e2woo:

I was SO ready to be done with my last WIP that I not only typed "The End", I typed "The End, Mother****ers!" (Which of course, would be removed before submitting it...but I did leave it for my beta reader, who thought it was hilarious when she finally got to it)

[bluntforcetrauma]

No. It's so...final.

[David I]

Yep. And I find it very satisfying to write.

[Prawn]

Shoot. Didn't we just have this thread somewhere?

-Feathers

Yes, but it wasn't the end.