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Can't end my book

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tommyrulez_99

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I am at a standstill. I am on the epilogue and I cannot for the life of me write what I want to say. At this point I stare at it, try to type, and then I remember something in the body. I go to that section and what I wanted to add doesn't come out the way I thought. Then I go back to the end and I lose site of how I want the end to go. I think my problem is, I am trying for word count instead of just ending it. Sad thing is, I already have my prologue and ideas for the second book.
 

tommyrulez_99

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And, there you go. I decided to forego the ending and start on the second book. Already at 1k words, before I started to lose the thought process.
 

MaeZe

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I'm working on my ending, including an epilogue. I've been reviewing blogs on the subject for help. Here are a couple I found helpful:

https://penandthepad.com/write-epilogue-novel-5001509.html

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-epilogue-that-works/

https://literarydevices.net/epilogue/



This one was problematic. Look at all the grammar errors in the cartoon dialogue clouds.
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Epilogue
Could just be an ESL problem, but I found it very distracting.


There's quite a difference in the advice on these websites. I find it helps to peruse them and take notes that apply to my WIP. I can relate to having trouble though. I'm still pondering.
 

KBooks

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This is why it sometimes helps me to have 2 projects going at once. Currently I have two I am writing, and one I am editing. When I get blocked on one thing, I change the channel and let the subconscious stew on it for a bit rather than stare at a blank screen getting frustrated and wasting writing time.

And I sympathize with you. I think endings--be it chapter endings or books endings--and beginnings are the toughest things to get right.
 

tommyrulez_99

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Yes sir, I KNOW how I want it to end, it's getting there has been the problem. I will check them out. Maybe, it's because I'm afraid. I've been working on it for sooo long, and it is a two book story, that I won't be able to finish the second half of the story.
 

frimble3

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Yes sir, I KNOW how I want it to end, it's getting there has been the problem. I will check them out. Maybe, it's because I'm afraid. I've been working on it for sooo long, and it is a two book story, that I won't be able to finish the second half of the story.
Maybe, in the back of your mind, there's a concern that if you wrap everything up perfectly in the epilogue, there won't be enough left for the second book?
Or that if you tuck in all the ends in the first book, you'll be stuck if you need to change things for the second one?
I think you're doing the right thing in starting the second book. Give yourself a little distance before you resume work on the first.
 

tommyrulez_99

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Richard Layman from the sticky. You may be starting to tell your story at the right point in time, and using the best possible viewpoint, but then run into difficulties because you're planning to focus your plot on the wrong character. You run into the block because you know something isn't right— but you don't know what.
Instead of using the second books starting chapter. I am going to use it as the epilogue.
 

blacbird

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An Epilogue should relate something that is subsequent to the ending of the actual story. Something that would enhance the overall narrative, or provide a moment of clarity for the reader. It should not just be "Final Chapter" under a different name, any more than a Prologue should actually be Chapter One.

So does your narrative arc end before the Epilogue? Do you need something called an Epilogue?

caw
 

tommyrulez_99

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Actually, it is an ending of other characters story that diverged from the main story. Characters b,c and d find themselves 3 months after leaving character A. Their stories fill in what happened to them after leaving character A.
 

DanielSTJ

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You just have to write it out.

Write-- anything. Edit after thoroughly.

Rinse and repeat.
 

LesFewer

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Something that worked for me.

Make sure all your loose threads are tied up, did the hero kiss the girl? did the girl find her cat? Why was the chalk missing?

Then put in a plot twist: Neo is the one; Luke I'm your father; Thanos snaps his fingers.

This works better if you can do the twist while tying up all the threads in a few pages. Put everything close together.
 
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BT Lamprey

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Actually, it is an ending of other characters story that diverged from the main story. Characters b,c and d find themselves 3 months after leaving character A. Their stories fill in what happened to them after leaving character A.

Perhaps the problem is that you're not including character A? What are they saying, thinking, feeling about the protagonist?
 

starrystorm

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You're not alone. Ugh. I know exactly what you mean, tommyrulez. I've been stuck on the stupid denouncement for a week now. I just can't figure out how to wrap everything up in a scene without just telling the readers what happens next in a big block of text.
 

maggiee19

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Watching this thread because by having my MC recover from his injury, I feel like I ended the book too early.
 

Titus

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I would say if you're stuck at the ending, look back at the early promises your book made. Are they fulfilled? Is it a character story? A story about setting?
 
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