A Month of Randomness
March 2, 2009
It’s been quite a while since I did any serious blogging, despite my January goal to do more, but it’s not my fault. Really! My laptop betrayed me right after I listed my goals, and it limped along for almost two months before it finally died in February.
Insert moment of silence.
I had someone look at it to see if it was fixable, but, alas, it was not. I’m just relieved that I backed everything up two hours before the computer froze on me for the last time.
So I spent about two weeks running up to my husband’s office at church to do my editing on his computer. Needless to say, all other online stuff had to wait.
But we have a new laptop now so I’m back! And I thought I’d catch up on a few things that have been banging around in my head for the last month.
1. You all might want to thank my laptop for dying when it did – the day before the news about A-Rod’s flunked steroid test came out. I did several mental blog rants in my head since I couldn’t get to a computer. Lucky you. But I feel better now. And I caught a White Sox preseason game yesterday which they won in the ninth inning. Go Sox.
2. Shelf Life, the story that finaled in the ‘07 Genesis contest, has been simmering and deepening in my mind for the last couple of years. I’ve got a pretty thorough outline, but there was one important bit of info that I couldn’t figure out — why the heroine’s husband had failed as a major league closer. I didn’t want it to be the whole steroid issue (see #1), and I already knew how the book would end, but I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what the guy’s problem was.
I figured it out! And in the weirdest place. My husband gets ESPN the magazine, and I skim through it for whatever looks interesting. There was an article in there about a month ago on fans heckling players, and bam — my answer was right there. What excited me the most was that what happened to one pro player was something I already had as a major issue in my story. So the answer fit perfectly into the story and deepened so much of the novel. I know that’s vague, but I’m pumped.
I really want to enter the Genesis contest again, but I think our two mortgages are going to prevent that. Which stinks because I’d love the feedback on Shelf Life and two other stories. But I’m getting okay with that.
Still . . . rats.
3. I’d love to hear what you all feel about novels that make you read the next book to find out what happens. On my last post, Tina Forkner, who’s a published novelist, left her thoughts on Daisy Chain and its ending. From the reviews I’ve seen, it almost seems like people who are more readers than writers don’t like to be left hanging while people who are writers are fine with it.
I know I’m a writer so I’m not even in line with what I think I’m seeing, but right now I’m looking at it as a reader. I want to get from beginning to end in that book I’m holding because I’m reading for fun. And getting to the end and not finding out what happened isn’t fun. I wonder if we writers sometimes get caught up in our work as art and forget that our readers are into it for fun, escape, relaxation, etc.
What do you think?
Comments
4 Responses to “A Month of Randomness”
I’ll answer your question as a reader. I definitely prefer books that end, and everything is all wrapped up. I really enjoy stories in a series that are related, same people, same town, that kind of thing, but I like each book to be able to stand on its own. I don’t get as much time to read as I would like and I want to enjoy the story and not be frustrated by a non-ending.
I haven’t read Daisy Chain so it’s hard to know how I would react to it. From your review, it sounds as though EVERYTHING is left hanging in that one, which would drive me crazy. I actually like having some unanswered questions to think about and ponder, if I know there’s a sequel coming. I love the Harry Potter books, which usually tie up the main threads of the current novel but have a separate thread running through the whole series that doesn’t get fully answered until the end. It’s great for sharing and discussing with other readers and anticipating the next little tidbit that gets revealed. Great stuff!
I feel the same as both of you. I don’t mind a couple things, minor things, left open for the next book, but I want some things resolved.
Anyone else?
I haven’t read Daisy Chain, but in other books I’ve read, I don’t want to be left hanging. I prefer books that could stand alone. That being said, there are exceptions. I like the LOTR trilogy, and if any books ever leave you hanging and having to read the next one, it’s those.
Glad you’re up and running again. And thanks for the reminder that I need to get my Goal List posted!