Loose Ends

I was talking with my friend Roberta yesterday about getting to the end of your book.

I would still be writing had I not imposed a deadline for the first draft. Even then it was way to long.

In the "Cut" phase I am trimming out superfluous plot lines that result in a ton of loose ends.

Now I am not going to have every little thing tied up in a bow. In fact there are a few subtle things that are seed stock for future plot lines.

In the books I love they have a real conclusion and a deneumont. 

Loose ends and even worse, arbitrary ends bug me. If the last chapter of a book concludes nothing and I have to wait a year for the next book, it has to be a VERY good story. Otherwise, I am really pissed.

Simple examples of books that tie up loose ends but continue would be the Harry Potter series books. They tie up enough loose ends for you to be happy. Other stories leave you hanging like it's just the end of a chapter. The Tunnels series did this and it  bugged me. I was feeling like it was done to just get me to buy the next book. A ploy. The thing that sucks is when you read faster than the author writes. I am so not doing that.

--Loose ends will be tied. But leave them wanting more!