Marissa Lingen (mrissa) wrote,
Marissa Lingen
mrissa

Endings

For years, we have used "and then I found five bucks" as the default ending to an anecdote. You know those moments when you're in the middle of a story and realize that nobody cares, not even you? You just say, "and then I found five bucks," and the conversation can move on. (And if someone really does care, they can stop you and say, "No, but really, what did your grandmother say to the nun?") It's a good ending: not too unbelievable -- not $20, say or $2000 -- but positive, upbeat, and above all, resolved. "What is the point of all this?" you might ask, and there's the point, right there: you found $5. Yay you.

Tonight, since markgritter has finished his read of Thermionic Night, I have decided to share with you my secret to writing novel endings. Here it is: "And all of them who were still alive ran away to Canada."

There you go. Use it in good health. It's uplifting, I find. Of course, I won't get to this uplifting ending until I've revised TN and Sampo and drafted the rest of Midnight Sun Rising, but never mind that now.
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  • 24 comments

  • your own questions

    Earlier this month I was the author guest for Literacy Night at a local grade school. My presentation (repeated three times–though never the…

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