Monday, April 18, 2011

What's on the Page?

The End is Near

As I'm homing in on the end of my WIP (work in progress), I'm wondering is this enough of a climax, will the reader feel satisfied with what I'm writing, is the hero acting out of character or is what he does believable? I guess I'm not going to fully know that until my critique partners read it and give me feedback. To me it makes sense and feels right. But it will be up to my writing to convey how I see the scene playing out and how the reader envisions it.

As writers we paint a visual picture with words and the reader adds their own nuances, shading, and sharpened detail as they read. But words, when not fitting to the character they have built in in their minds, jar the reader. Then the writer needs to work on how they convey the image.

That's where I feel while I could write a paragraph or two of details when a person enters a room, I try to pick out only the details that have the most impact on the character at the moment. And that's why the climax scene keeps playing out in my head over and over, and I'm trying to pick out the moments and images that will have the most impact and show the moment from the heroine's perspective to show her despair and not make the hero look like a jerk and unlike his character.

Have you read to the end of the book and then the climax/black moment made you question the rest of the book?

8 comments:

Anita Clenney said...

You bring up an interesting point. As writers we paint the words, but the reader fills in the gaps with her own imagination. One of my favorite authors is Diana Gabaldon who wrote the Outlander series. Her hero Jamie Fraser is legendary with Diana's readers. Great debates have taken place over what Jamie really looks like, which actor should play him in the movie, and so on. I found it fascinating that Diana responded that if we could see the real image of Jamie in her head, we would probably all be shocked. We all have our own concepts of characters and settings no matter how the image is painted on the page.

Paisley Kirkpatrick said...

I am struggling with the climax of my story myself. I've tried many different scenerios, but it still doesn't evoke that jolt I am looking for...and it's driving me crazy. ;)

I have read endings of books that make me so unhappy they have actually flown across the room. I can still remember back to when I was a teen and read Mrs. Mike. I was so upset at the ending - as you can tell from how young I was at the time - that I've never forgotten the disappointment. I thought Message in a Bottle was absolutely a horrible ending. I don't want my story to be know for its failure to please at the end. I know that perfect ending is bouncing around the inside of my head and will pop into my muse when it is polished enough to work. Or at least I hope so....

Caroline Clemmons said...

To answer your question, yes I have read to the end of a book and the climax left me with questions. Then I was mad that I'd wasted time reading the book.

Paty Jager said...

Anita, it's true. I don't know how many times I've talked with people who read my books and their image of the hero isn't what I have in my mind.

Paty Jager said...

Paisley, I think we all have read an ending we weren't happy with. Your ending will come. I have faith.

Paty Jager said...

Caroline, I've been there, too!

Autumn Jordon said...

Absolutely, and then I delete the delete key. But, if it feels really good, go with it.

Congrats on being so close.

Paty Jager said...

Autumn, the delete key is a fabulous device. lOL Thanks for commenting!