Writerly (yeah baby!): The wrapping skills

[Liar]

If the "where are the writerly threads?" squad don't participate, it's paddling time. Show up or shut up.


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Every other story I read here on lit leave me dissapointed in one area. They are often well written (the ones that I can't parse the language easily, I leave after three paragraphs) and most often well told and pretty damn hot.

But ever so often, stories END kinda badly. They can have a great, vivid opening with style and substance, a nice story arch with the right amount of juicyness...

But then it's like the cliché guy-in-bed syndrome. Orgasm, turn over, zzz. The end. or rather; orgasm, the end. Plot threads are left dangling, catchphrases from whithin the story, as made for wrapping it up in the end, are left to blow in the wind, and I'm tossed out of the text-world that the story created, hwen what I want is at least a little bit of post-climatic snuggle with the characters and story.

Makes me wonder if those stories are not made for the wankers alone, and that they'll stop reading once they get their palms sticky anyway, so why bother?



What's your take on the end of stories? Do you consider yourself a good wrapper-upper of your fiction pieces? And what, in your opinion, constitutes a good end?

 

[impressive]

What are your take on the end of stories? Do you consider yourself a good wrapper-upper of your fiction pieces? And what, in your opinion, constitutes a good end?

You can tell which of my stories I'm eager to finish, because I rush the ending. I tie up all the loose ends, but do so in a rather abrupt way.

 

[Vermilion]

I usually try and finish my stories so that you feel the characters will go on and do something afterwards; that the end of the story/orgasm is not the end of their lives and they live outside the writing.

Occasionally I make what they do next clear, occasionally ambiguous... depends whether I'm thinking of going back to the story later or not.

x
V

 

[CharleyH]

If the "where are the writerly threads?" squad don't participate, it's paddling time. Show up or shut up.

Every other story I read here on lit leave me dissapointed in one area.

Thank GOD! I was beginning to feel alone.

Edit to add: What is disappointment on the part of a reader?

 

[Liar]

Personally, I'm very much a form writer. Language is often as important as story, or more even. Probably because I write more poetry than prose. So when it comes to closing the book on a story, I find myself going back through what I've written, searching for key moments and memorable phrases in the story, and somehow referring to them in the closing paragraphs. I've actually had complaints about that, people who think I write too "planned" and "clever" for my own good and that it takes away from the believeability of the story. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right.

 

[CharleyH]

Personally, I'm very much a form writer. Language is often as important as story, or more even. Probably because I write more poetry than prose. So when it comes to closing the book on a story, I find myself going back through what I've written, searching for key moments and memorable phrases in the story, and somehow referring to them in the closing paragraphs. I've actually had complaints about that, people who think I write too "planned" and "clever" for my own good and that it takes away from the believeability of the story. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right.

I am a semiotic writer and poetics and metaphor are utmost to me. Again I ask in a different way: What is most disappointing to you as a writer? EDIT TO ADD: In your writing.

 

[Liar]

Again I ask in a different way: What is most disappointing to you as a writer? EDIT TO ADD: In your writing.

Seriously? The actual taxt creating process. It's exhausting to the point of unberable. Which could be because I obsess over every line and phrase like I do.

But that's not what this tread was about. Start your own. We can't have enuff writely threads anyway.


So Charley, back to topic: What's your take on story endings? What should a good one contain?

 

[Liar]

You can tell which of my stories I'm eager to finish, because I rush the ending. I tie up all the loose ends, but do so in a rather abrupt way.

Haven't thought of that when I read your stuff. Is there any particular story that you could say is rushed in the end? Would be interresting to see what you consider rushed.

 

[The_Fool]

For clarification, are you talking about stories that have a denouement but lack an adequate conclusion or are you talking about stories that even lack that level of closure?

 

[CharleyH]

Seriously? The actual taxt creating process. It's exhausting to the point of unberable. Which could be because I obsess over every line and phrase like I do.

But that's not what this tread was about. Start your own. We can't have enuff writely threads anyway.


So Charley, back to topic: What's your take on story endings? What should a good one contain?

An ending ties up. That's the best ending - it ties up in the best way that the particular narrative can, even when it doesn't do it conventionally.

 

[matriarch]

If the "where are the writerly threads?" squad don't participate, it's paddling time. Show up or shut up.


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Every other story I read here on lit leave me dissapointed in one area. They are often well written (the ones that I can't parse the language easily, I leave after three paragraphs) and most often well told and pretty damn hot.

But ever so often, stories END kinda badly. They can have a great, vivid opening with style and substance, a nice story arch with the right amount of juicyness...

But then it's like the cliché guy-in-bed syndrome. Orgasm, turn over, zzz. The end. or rather; orgasm, the end. Plot threads are left dangling, catchphrases from whithin the story, as made for wrapping it up in the end, are left to blow in the wind, and I'm tossed out of the text-world that the story created, hwen what I want is at least a little bit of post-climatic snuggle with the characters and story.

Makes me wonder if those stories are not made for the wankers alone, and that they'll stop reading once they get their palms sticky anyway, so why bother?



What's your take on the end of stories? Do you consider yourself a good wrapper-upper of your fiction pieces? And what, in your opinion, constitutes a good end?

The end is very important........whether it be a complete end, or a natural lead into another episode. My stories HAVE to have a proper ending.

 

[minsue]

Personally, I'm very much a form writer. Language is often as important as story, or more even. Probably because I write more poetry than prose. So when it comes to closing the book on a story, I find myself going back through what I've written, searching for key moments and memorable phrases in the story, and somehow referring to them in the closing paragraphs. I've actually had complaints about that, people who think I write too "planned" and "clever" for my own good and that it takes away from the believeability of the story. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right.

Don't listen to those complaints, Liar. I agree with you on satisfying vs dissatisfying endings and yours fall in the satisfying category.

As for your question of what actually constitutes a good ending? It's like legislators and obscenity - I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it.

 

[matriarch]

Personally, I'm very much a form writer. Language is often as important as story, or more even. Probably because I write more poetry than prose. So when it comes to closing the book on a story, I find myself going back through what I've written, searching for key moments and memorable phrases in the story, and somehow referring to them in the closing paragraphs. I've actually had complaints about that, people who think I write too "planned" and "clever" for my own good and that it takes away from the believeability of the story. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right.

That's exactly it!
The circle, the closure.......there is no better way of finishing a story than with a reference to another part of the story. I try to do that, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it does, its a very satisfying feeling. I remember discussing exactly this with Scheherezade when we first met on line, and how delighted she was that I commented on the story seeming to have a circular construction.

 

[Liar]

An ending ties up. That's the best ending - it ties up in the best way that the particular narrative can, even when it doesn't do it conventionally.

The less conventional the better, if you ask me. But that's because I'm a bit of a writing geek.

 

[CharleyH]

The end is very important........whether it be a complete end, or a natural lead into another episode. My stories HAVE to have a proper ending.

Ok I do not enjoy discussing my writing but fine - a GREAT END - A great end ties in some way to the beginning, and a greater end leaves a reader wondering - WHAT IF ...and more important what happens next and an even MORE IMPORTANT what happend before it all happened.

A great end leaves people wanting - that is THE great end: WANT.

 

[Liar]

For clarification, are you talking about stories that have a denouement but lack an adequate conclusion or are you talking about stories that even lack that level of closure?

A little bit of both, I guess. I'm not sure where the line between those are drawn. There are many well written stories here that are not supposed to have any solid ending, that are just snapshot sex scenes. Those I don't read, unless they are exceptionally good down on a phrase level.

 

[floweringquince]

Seriously? The actual taxt creating process. It's exhausting to the point of unberable.

Me, too - it just doesn't seem fair that the physical act of getting the words on paper (or onto disc) should be so tiring, or so godawfully time-consuming, now does it?
(I've alway thought that, in a just universe, finding a place to park one's car wouldn't be so difficult, either...

I've always been terrible at endings, at ending the events of the story so that the characters seem done, but are still alive enough that they can be imagined going on to some new set of events. I'm even worse with essays and letters, I never know how to close them.

So far, I've found erotic stories a little easier to end; because I want to give the reader something to, er, dream on
So like I like to end with my characters not necessarily cliff-hanging; but at least looking, from the height of the summit they've just achieved, on over to the next high hill.

Um, I'm kind of running out of things to say, so I'll think I'll just stop now -

Quince

 

[impressive]

Haven't thought of that when I read your stuff. Is there any particular story that you could say is rushed in the end? Would be interresting to see what you consider rushed.

Nothing that's still here on Lit, no. Time Warp was here, for Halloween. That ending was definitely rushed. Phaze asked me to expand it before publication (which I did). It'll be released in April.

Another, Pura Vida! is coming out the first week of March as part of Fantasies I (a 4-author anthology). I was so sick of that one that I rushed the ending.

Not very helpful, is it?

 

[Munachi]

well to most stories i write the end is very important, and can be one of the first things i come up with (in my head - i have a tendency to write the stories as they are, rather than writing the end first, for example)... they are sometimes open endings, and usually not very happy endings, but they are quite planned, usually...

 

[pop_54]

I'm terrible at ending my crap... sometimes it just fizzles out when I get fed up with the characters and tale and I end it as clinically as possible... Other times I still love the characters but am getting brain pains thinking up new situations and scenes... So I end it all in a manner that could be taken up again at short noticed as a Jim fucks Mary part two, or whatever... However this is all easy for me, cos I don't take my writing or myself all that seriously, it's not a labour of love and perfection as with most of you good people... It's all a game with me I'm afraid, a big experiment or a bit of fun...

I really admire you good folks who take it seriously, I wish I could... but I lack the time and inclination... Having said that however, I agree with you Liar, the poor ending can ruin a good story..

 

[CharleyH]

I still say a great end is WANT. An American movie ends with all things sutured together in a neat and tidy little package, but a great narrative ends in WANT.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Personally, I'm very much a form writer. Language is often as important as story, or more even. Probably because I write more poetry than prose. So when it comes to closing the book on a story, I find myself going back through what I've written, searching for key moments and memorable phrases in the story, and somehow referring to them in the closing paragraphs. I've actually had complaints about that, people who think I write too "planned" and "clever" for my own good and that it takes away from the believeability of the story. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right.

I love your style Liar... it's soooo not mine, but I admire it SO much. I can't do it. I'm so not a poet. But I love poets and their style... it leaves me awed and breathless.

Can you give examples of stories that end the way you're talking about?

 

[The_Fool]

My concept for much of my stuff, be it poems or prose is to put the reader into a situation where they are eavesdropping on a conversation in the case of third person or listening to a protagonists private thoughts in the case of first person. The thing is, the reader does not know what went on before and won’t know what happens after I yank them out. What they do know is how a climax is reached. They know that based on this circumstance that they have been voyeur to, that the lives of the protagonist(s) have been changed, for better or worse. But what happens because of that change are subjects either left to another story or left up to the reader to create in their own mind. And sometimes the climax is anticlimactic. Charley can figure that one out on her own…

 

[Guest]

The end is very important........whether it be a complete end, or a natural lead into another episode. My stories HAVE to have a proper ending.

Exactly. I'll work more on the ending than the opening, usually.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

All of my posted stories have sequels planned or in the works. So I haven't technically ended anything yet. I'll let you know if I ever do