My worst fears held true... I like the big epic battle to save the day at the end, but Endways of the God's ending has too many endings.
I'm a big believer in "follow your instincts." Whenever I've felt I took a wrong turn with a story and decided... Screw it! I'm redoing this! it's worked. Not just a little, but magically, as if I was just wrong to try and do it any other way. And there's where I have a problem here. I feel that the "big reveal" at the ending is necessary. But yet it also feels like it comes at the wrong time. I do admit... part of it is a huge segue for what could lead into another story. But I'm afraid that's how it reads. Like it's not there for an emotional impact.... and it really is!! Am I making any sense at all?
A lot of it is that the end feels rushed, so the big super reveal end is just kind of the carrot in the broccoli-cheese and carrot side dish. It's all about the broccoli and the cheese. Group of Heroes #1 meets Group of Heroes #2: trouble ensues: trouble that ensued shows BIG SUPER PROBLEM REVEAL: problem solved: goodbye, and oh yeah - guess what? I think Group of Heroes #1 has to chill out with Group of Heroes #2 and sink into the soft cushy couch that is their world. Then the big reveal at the end is like "OMGWTFBBQ!" as opposed to... "huh. So. That's nice. Why exactly should I care, again?"
Am I making sense? *knocks on microphone*
Oh crap. I know exactly how you feel--every time I've let the story go in the direction it wanted, it's worked out pretty well.
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm working on the climax of my post-apocalyptic story and am having nearly the exact same problem. I'm actually thinking of moving part of the "big reveal" to earlier in the story, in the hopes that the final piece of the reveal will hit with more impact. But I could be wrong about all that. So I'm just going to write to the end and then decide.
Have you actually, *actually* finished writing it, or are you still just sorting it out in your head? If it's the latter, I recommend at least getting it all down, and then making a decision. Or writing another ending and seeing if it plays out any better.
P.S. Found you on AbsoluteWrite. Your blog's in my RSS now! :)