Curious question? What gets the story picked up when the ending is uncertain? And would that mean concept trumps narrative arc, or is it something else… (I’m starting to write, it’s painful!)
This is a good question. The first answer is that there WAS an ending, it just wasn't good. So it's not like it ended with "ENDING TBD" or anything. So the second answer is that the rest of it was good enough that the editor could see how to make it work. There was perhaps a brazenness to 2014 me, who thought "this is good, except for the ending, and therefore is submittable." Although honestly I just did this exact same thing this week (sent a manuscript to an editor that I knew was good but not finished, to see if it was a direction they would be interested in).
There is a sort of duality to being a writer, between doing the hard work of making your manuscript as good as you can, and also accepting that it'll get even better if you let other people help you. I am extremely committed -- almost territorial -- to working on stories by myself to make them as good as I can make them. It's one of the reasons I'm mostly off social media now -- I find that I get very influenced by other people's thoughts and creative projects, and it messes with my ability to make a manuscript fully the product of my own brain. But I also do love the process of turning that manuscript over to critique partners or an editor to get someone else's view on it, and then together we can make it better.
I do think it might come down to making something you know is good. When I'm making myself laugh, I know I'm on the right track.
I, too, am sick of being the responsible one/household alarm clock. I cannot wait to read this, both to myself and to my family. #dramaticpauses #plentyofeyecontactwhilereadingaloud #teamrooster
Interesting to hear the backstory of this book!
Curious question? What gets the story picked up when the ending is uncertain? And would that mean concept trumps narrative arc, or is it something else… (I’m starting to write, it’s painful!)
This is a good question. The first answer is that there WAS an ending, it just wasn't good. So it's not like it ended with "ENDING TBD" or anything. So the second answer is that the rest of it was good enough that the editor could see how to make it work. There was perhaps a brazenness to 2014 me, who thought "this is good, except for the ending, and therefore is submittable." Although honestly I just did this exact same thing this week (sent a manuscript to an editor that I knew was good but not finished, to see if it was a direction they would be interested in).
There is a sort of duality to being a writer, between doing the hard work of making your manuscript as good as you can, and also accepting that it'll get even better if you let other people help you. I am extremely committed -- almost territorial -- to working on stories by myself to make them as good as I can make them. It's one of the reasons I'm mostly off social media now -- I find that I get very influenced by other people's thoughts and creative projects, and it messes with my ability to make a manuscript fully the product of my own brain. But I also do love the process of turning that manuscript over to critique partners or an editor to get someone else's view on it, and then together we can make it better.
I do think it might come down to making something you know is good. When I'm making myself laugh, I know I'm on the right track.
I, too, am sick of being the responsible one/household alarm clock. I cannot wait to read this, both to myself and to my family. #dramaticpauses #plentyofeyecontactwhilereadingaloud #teamrooster
Not to disappoint, but the published ending is something else entirely! Stay tuned.
Ooooh. Exciting! 👀 🍿
Loving this backstory, and way to go on the TikTok! Very fun :)