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[carsonshepherd]

This word count does not include footnotes, headers, or footers.

Holy crap, how did I let this novel get so long? This might be why I'm having so much trouble writing the last chapter. I'm starting to forget things, and losing sight of my characters. I want a resolution so I can proofread it and get it to my editor and start revisions and all that stuff you're supposed to do when you finish a novel.

If you've ever written a novel this long, how do you stay on track for the resolution? Do you take a break and come back to it, or do you write a resolution and work out the fuzziness in revision? I hate the idea of getting this far and fizzling.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I've never written anything that big. I'm in awe.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I've never written anything that big. I'm in awe.

Don't be. It's a beast with many heads. *stabs at it*

 

[neonlyte]

Carson, had a similar problem recently. I wrote three different endings, left it alone and returned to immediately identify the correct ending. (my word count is 140k and someone bitched at me yesterday for a short posted extract with no dialogue)

 

[carsonshepherd]

Carson, had a similar problem recently. I wrote three different endings, left it alone and returned to immediately identify the correct ending. (my word count is 140k and someone bitched at me yesterday for a short posted extract with no dialogue)

I do know how it's going to end. Do you think part of my problem might be a time shift between the last two chapters... sort of like an epilogue?

 

[neonlyte]

I do know how it's going to end. Do you think part of my problem might be a time shift between the last two chapters... sort of like an epilogue?

One of my endings was an epilogue type ending - it's the one I chose. The main story is done and dusted by this stage, the 'epilogue' tied up loose ends, it's also the shortest chapter, almost a footnote.

 

[LadyJeanne]

I don't have any advice. I just wanted to say Hi Carson!

 

[3113]

If you've ever written a novel this long, how do you stay on track for the resolution? Do you take a break and come back to it, or do you write a resolution and work out the fuzziness in revision? I hate the idea of getting this far and fizzling.

Yep. Wrote a novel that ran 100,069 words. That's about 460 pages double spaced. Not that enormous really. I mean, you're still short of War and Peace right?

Recommendation--write up an ending. ANY ending. Then start to go back over it. Cut out anything that YOU, the author needs to know but which slows the action down--what the reader does not need to know. Edit, edit, edit. In fact, make it your goal to remove about 100 pages if you can.

THEN when you reach the ending you've tacked on, you'll begin to see if it works or not. If there's really a different ending required by the story now that it's trim and tight.

If you wait, you'll lose sight of that ending. Right now, You're into the book and into the characters. You have all the pieces in your head. So write up the ending, short and sweet as you can so as not to add another 100 pages to the monster.

That's my recommendation. Let us know what you decide.

 

[oggbashan]

I print out a hard copy, hole punch it and file it in a loose leaf binder.

Whenever I have had a break in the writing, I re-read it from page 1 before restarting. That shows plot inconsistencies and also parts that can be cut. It helps that I am still a speed-reader even if slowing with age. A normal length paperback novel takes me less than an hour.

The only longer work I wrote without using a printout was my 2003 NaNoWriMo, now posted as Flawed Red Silk. I wrote that and edited as I went because I had set myself a target of having the whole 50,000 words posted on Literotica before the end of the month. I succeeded but Real Life took a back seat that month.

Og

 

[Guest]

This word count does not include footnotes, headers, or footers.

Holy crap, how did I let this novel get so long? This might be why I'm having so much trouble writing the last chapter. I'm starting to forget things, and losing sight of my characters. I want a resolution so I can proofread it and get it to my editor and start revisions and all that stuff you're supposed to do when you finish a novel.

If you've ever written a novel this long, how do you stay on track for the resolution? Do you take a break and come back to it, or do you write a resolution and work out the fuzziness in revision? I hate the idea of getting this far and fizzling.

Note cards and post-its. ANd a ring binder

 

[carsonshepherd]

Note cards and post-its. ANd a ring binder

You're talking about outlines and organization and stuff. *shudders*

 

[carsonshepherd]

Yep. Wrote a novel that ran 100,069 words. That's about 460 pages double spaced. Not that enormous really. I mean, you're still short of War and Peace right?

Recommendation--write up an ending. ANY ending. Then start to go back over it. Cut out anything that YOU, the author needs to know but which slows the action down--what the reader does not need to know. Edit, edit, edit. In fact, make it your goal to remove about 100 pages if you can.

THEN when you reach the ending you've tacked on, you'll begin to see if it works or not. If there's really a different ending required by the story now that it's trim and tight.

If you wait, you'll lose sight of that ending. Right now, You're into the book and into the characters. You have all the pieces in your head. So write up the ending, short and sweet as you can so as not to add another 100 pages to the monster.

That's my recommendation. Let us know what you decide.

I estimate about ten pages and I'm done. I know at least a quarter to a third of it will have to be cut, but I will prbably just hand the cursed thing over to my editor to try to make sense out of it.

 

[ElizabethWest]

You're talking about outlines and organization and stuff. *shudders*

*snicker*

 

[carsonshepherd]

I don't have any advice. I just wanted to say Hi Carson!

Hi Lady J! I didn't see you up there.

 

[carsonshepherd]

*snicker*

instead of writing outlines, I just write the story

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Carson,

Grab your towel and Don't Panic, yet.

Outline isn't a four-letter word. If the story is already in chapters, then just rough-out a brief synopsis of each one. Once you've seen the story that may, you may decide to combine, divide, add, or even omit chapters. It will also help you see some forest instead of all those damn trees.

Rumple Foreskin

ps: I've finished two novels. Both are about the same length as yours. The second one was a semi-finalist in last year's Faulkner competition and a finalist in this year's Santa Fe Writers Proj contest. Neither has been published. rf

 

[carsonshepherd]

ps: I've finished two novels. Both are about the same length as yours. The second one was a semi-finalist in last year's Faulkner competition and a finalist in this year's Santa Fe Writers Proj contest. Neither has been published. rf

Congratulations!

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Congratulations!

Thanks, Carson. That's sounded more like blowing my horn than I intended, honest. I just wanted you to know I've been there and suffered what you're going through. If your novel is character based, and knowing your work that's what i'd guess, an outline, even one created "after the fact" can be a real help. Writers of plot driven stories: action/adventure, crime, a lot of sci-fi, often don't need one.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[neonlyte]

ps: I've finished two novels. Both are about the same length as yours. The second one was a semi-finalist in last year's Faulkner competition and a finalist in this year's Santa Fe Writers Proj contest. Neither has been published. rf

Another dark horse - we'll have to get a paddock

Congrats Rumply - though I'm not surprised.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

Carson,

Grab your towel and Don't Panic, yet.

Outline isn't a four-letter word. If the story is already in chapters, then just rough-out a brief synopsis of each one. Once you've seen the story that may, you may decide to combine, divide, add, or even omit chapters. It will also help you see some forest instead of all those damn trees.

Rumple Foreskin

ps: I've finished two novels. Both are about the same length as yours. The second one was a semi-finalist in last year's Faulkner competition and a finalist in this year's Santa Fe Writers Proj contest. Neither has been published. rf

First, big congrats to rumple on his awards. Super cudos to you.

Second, I like the idea of post cards as has been mentioned. Write up a very few sentence synopsis of what happens in each chapter. Line em up and see if you like it. If one card seems nice but unnecessary, drop it. Also, well, you didn't ask this, but try to take a look at the flow of tension in the story. One method is to give each card a number rating, say 1 to 10, that measures how exciting the chapter is. Then make sure that the numbers rise and fall in a nice way so that you have tension and relaxation and that it builds to something. I mention all this because it might help you decide how to construct that last chapter or two. Ideally, you want the ending to be the climax of the whole book and there should not be too much after it. You mention not being sure of what the ending is. If you keep giving high excitement ratings to certain things on your cards, then whatever they are building to is your ending. Hopefully, they are building to something.

OK, confession. I've never written past about 30,000 words. The tension thing is from a book on Plot design in novels that I have been reading. It seems like a good idea.

 

[carsonshepherd]

First, big congrats to rumple on his awards. Super cudos to you.

Second, I like the idea of post cards as has been mentioned. Write up a very few sentence synopsis of what happens in each chapter. Line em up and see if you like it. If one card seems nice but unnecessary, drop it. Also, well, you didn't ask this, but try to take a look at the flow of tension in the story. One method is to give each card a number rating, say 1 to 10, that measures how exciting the chapter is. Then make sure that the numbers rise and fall in a nice way so that you have tension and relaxation and that it builds to something. I mention all this because it might help you decide how to construct that last chapter or two. Ideally, you want the ending to be the climax of the whole book and there should not be too much after it. You mention not being sure of what the ending is. If you keep giving high excitement ratings to certain things on your cards, then whatever they are building to is your ending. Hopefully, they are building to something.

OK, confession. I've never written past about 30,000 words. The tension thing is from a book on Plot design in novels that I have been reading. It seems like a good idea.

Those are actually pretty damn good ideas, though not somehting I would normally do. I usually write by "feel" but I'm realizing that's not easy with a work this long. This story has a double climax - a resolution of the action (it's sort of a character -based cop story) and then the "happy ending" in the next chapter.

I think I may have it figured out though. The "epilogue" idea is out. I'm going to try a linear resolution instead. I think it's less confusing to the reader.

Wish me luck

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Those are actually pretty damn good ideas, though not somehting I would normally do. I usually write by "feel" but I'm realizing that's not easy with a work this long. This story has a double climax - a resolution of the action (it's sort of a character -based cop story) and then the "happy ending" in the next chapter.

I think I may have it figured out though. The "epilogue" idea is out. I'm going to try a linear resolution instead. I think it's less confusing to the reader.

Wish me luck

Go get 'em, tiger.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Aurora Black]

110K words and counting.

 

[neonlyte]

Those are actually pretty damn good ideas, though not somehting I would normally do. I usually write by "feel" but I'm realizing that's not easy with a work this long. This story has a double climax - a resolution of the action (it's sort of a character -based cop story) and then the "happy ending" in the next chapter.

I think I may have it figured out though. The "epilogue" idea is out. I'm going to try a linear resolution instead. I think it's less confusing to the reader.

Wish me luck

The epilogue only works if there is reason to do it. In my case, around the middle of the story is a catalyst figure who steers the unravelling of the story without playing any further significant part, without the epilogue he's left hanging. It's pretty obvious what is going to happen to him - he's an old man, he dies - the epilogue gives him a decent send off.

 

[Aurora Black]

Oops, scared everyone away again.