Changes

All good things end eventually. At the beginning of this month, Amber Quill Press announced that it would be closing down March 31, 2016. I have three books and three short stories with this publisher, and after March I will be looking to find a home for them with another publisher.

I've been with Amber Quill since 2003. They've always been a class act - great editors, beautiful cover art, regular quarterly royalty statements and payments, and creative promotional efforts. Their short story line gave me an opportunity with three of my shorts. One of those, "Search and Rescue", is currently a finalist in the EPIC Ebook Awards in the Short Works category. And its cover artist, Trace Edward Zaber, is a finalist for EPIC's Ariana Award in the Fantasy/Paranormal category.

This isn't the first time something publishing-related has ended for me. Over the years I've had a magazine close before an accepted short story of mine was published, and I've also had two other different publishers drop an anthology line, which meant three anthologies that I had short stories in went out of print. But I have short stories in anthologies with other publishers, as well as a picture book, and I'm currently working on a middle grade science fiction book.

In the meantime, though (for anyone interested), The Crystal Throne, Agents and Adepts, Talking to Trees, "Oracle of Cilens", and "Search and Rescue" will still be available through March 30, 2016 at Amber Quill Press, Amazon and B&N. The free short story, "Hiding in Plain Sight", is only available at Amber Quill Press until then. I'll have paper copies of the three books with me at conventions until I run out of stock. But the e-versions will be gone after March. (Amber Quill has the e-versions of the books on sale at their website, btw). If anyone wants a quick link to these (or a link to keep track of where these might end up), my book and short story page will always list them.

Amber Quill Press has been a wonderful publisher and I will greatly miss the creative, encouraging and supportive people who have made it such a great press.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

I can't remember the title of the song, but that line always strikes me as incredibly poignant. It's the last line of the song, and I know it, but I can't remember the title or the artist. Wait, Google is your friend: Closing Time, by Semisonic. 

I have been thinking about endings a lot lately. A friend posted a meme on FB -- you never know when it will be the last time you do something with your children. The last time they crawl into your lap, or the last time they hold your hand crossing the street. It'll be the last time, but you don't know it.

This year is my son's last year at elementary school. So many 'lasts'. Last Halloween parade and party. Last parent-teacher conference (hopefully!). Last holiday party. Last year staying at his pop-pop's before school. Later in the year it will be his last Field Day. Then graduation. I wasn't ready for it to be the last year, but here we are. Now I'm treasuring the lasts, because I KNOW they will be lasts.

How often do we get to realize in the moment that something is happening for the last time? That's a gift, really. I am dreading some lasts -- soon enough I know that it'll be the last time he wants to dress up for Halloween. We've had some real fun coming up with costumes-- Draco Malfoy, Doctor Who, Percy Jackson. This year Agent Coulson was a big hit. Eventually he'll want to go out without me trick-or-treating. And then he'll be done with it altogether. Someday soon I'll have to stop sending gifts from "Santa" -- that day is coming very soon, I think. He'll be twelve, he can't believe forever, though I'd like for him to.

Not trying to be a downer, but when you're a writer this kind of stuff gets stuck in your head.

It's not all doom and gloom. Like the song says, endings means new beginnings. Next year in middle school, he'll have all kinds of firsts. First time moving classes every period. First time coming home earlier than we do. First time using a locker (yikes!). I'm sure I'll have all kinds of new and interesting stuff to look forward to.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy what remains of what we're doing now. Tempus fugit!

Endings, good or bad by Janet Lane Walters

Before I start about endings, I'm wondering if anyone can help me get covers of books no longer with the same publisher off blogs. I used to know but I've forgotten how this is done.

Now about Endings. Writing the end of a story is as important as the beginning, The ending must do many things. The ending needs to satisfy the reader. The ending should tie up all loose ends. The ending may lead to other stories in a series. To look at each of these three elements can make an ending good or bad.

What does satisfy mean? Not necessarily a happy ending. The story can end tragically and still satisfy the reader. To satisfy the ending should have the reader thinking, Yes, that's how it had to be. When starting a story, writers struggle and try to entice the reader into the story. The ending can also entice. The ending if satisfactory can pull the reader to want to read other stories by the same writer. This has happened to me as a reader. I've reached the end of someone's book and thought how I wanted to read other books by that author. And I have. I've also read books where the ending left me cold and I've never read that author again.

The second point is tying up loose ends.  Granny tells the young person. "I used to wear those boy's clothes." The character asks why. "I'll tell you later." But she never does. The reader has been intrigued by that bit of the story. But the answer hasn't been told. The reader may go back and search for the reason and not finding why may never read that writer's stories again. When writing those interesting bits, make a note to give the answer somewhere in the story.

Series writing means the writer wants readers to read the next book and the next book. That means ending the story on a tease, on something that draws the reader to book two, three and however many stories are in the series. When writing what used to be Flight, but is now titled Escape, the four characters have left the town and are fleeing through the snow. They mentally reach the one they had to leave behind and hear him say that he has to die. They have also touched the villain's thoughts and know he is searching for them and trying to trap one of their group. The ending hopefully will make the reader go to the next book to find the answers and that book will end on another question to send them forward.

The Ending is the Ending is the Ending...right?

First of all, great turnout on the first giveaway prize pack! Remember to check out the others and enter those too - you have to comment on each one you want a chance to win. 


Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Who remembers that movie Clue? When it came out in theaters? *looks around at raised hands* Well....first, you're all old! LOL! (So am I, though, so I can say that). I loved that movie, so campy and fun, with terrific actors, especially Tim Curry who has always been a favorite of mine. Did you know he played the demon in Legend? So versatile!

But that's not my point. Neither is the fact that I think Clue, much like another favorite camp film of mine Murder by Death, pokes great fun at old detective novels as well as putting a board game on the big screen. Here's the point. Right here.--------> For those who aren't old enough to remember, when the movie was shown in theaters, you only got to see ONE of the three or four possible endings they shot. When the movie moved to TV, they showed all of the endings, with "that's how it could have happened. But what about this?" interspersed between the endings, and a final one that said "but here's what really happened."

So which ending is the real ending? In the theater, if you wanted to see all the endings you had to go and see the movie a bunch of times and hope you got a different ending. If you never saw them all, how do you know which one was 'the' ending?

Something similar happened to me with the last book I finished, the steampunk fairy tale currently looking for an agent. Originally it had a particular ending. It was relatively happy with a bit of a weepy little twist. But someone thought it might be too adult for YA. It's a historical fantasy piece, and the ending was perfectly fit to the sensibilities of that time period, but in this day and age you sort of have to fudge a little bit sometimes, especially when the historical sensibilities run so very contrary to modern ones.

So I changed it completely. I've never really done that before. I liked this new ending better, actually, it was satisfying and managed to appease both modern and historical sensibility, I thought.

Another reader said it was too sad and slightly boring. Which, when I re-read it, I could see her point-of-view. I thought she was happy, but it did have a lot of telling and wasn't showing my main character to be as happy as I knew she was. It was too 'quiet' - which apparently is the kiss of death in YA.

So I wrote it again.

I took a little from one pot and a little from the other and blended them together to get ending #3. This ending shows more than tells, and the happiness is practically bursting from the page. My MC gets more of Ending #1 without being overly 'adult', and is still living the life I wanted for her in Ending #2. But this is the first time I've ever, ever completely ripped out an ending after a book was finished. Tweaked, yes, but never completely changed. Beginnings, sure, do it all the time. Middles - of course. But not an ending.

Someday when it's published I'll have to post the Alternate Endings, and you can decide how you think it 'really happened.'

Beginnings and Endings and Dingles. Oh my!

I have trouble with both the beginnings and endings of stories but, fortunately, not at the same time. Beginnings of stories are the worst—except when endings are the worst.

BEGINNINGS

We all know that we’re supposed to hook the reader immediately at the beginning of a novel. Depending on who you talk to, that hook had better happen by the 5^th page (“The First Five Pages” by Noah Lukeman), somewhere in the first paragraph, or even in the first sentence. On FB, Polly Iyer writes, “Ah, the penchant for getting all the action up front. That's what everyone wants. Like everything else these days, no patience.” I’ve read that a hook should coincide with “where the story actually begins”, but where is that? I believe it’s different for different readers and authors.

Hooks are supposed to grab the reader by being interesting—to readers. I have an ongoing problem with this. To me, -characters- are pretty darn interesting, so I want to explore them a bit in the first couple of pages of my novels. Yes, I’ve learned this is a no-no, unless one is writing a literary novel. I do YA fantasy adventure.

Once “Seabird” was nearly completed, I inserted an action-packed Prologue as a hook for the reader. Since then, I’ve heard that many novel readers skip prologues. Oh well.

In “Earthbow”—the sequel to “Seabird”—I managed some serious tension, action, and a bit of a puzzle about a page into the novel’s first chapter. Chapters 2 & 3 have fragments of tension as well, mixed in with character development. “Earthbow” has no prologue. Did I get it right? I doubt it—after all, there’s no danger to life and limb until at least the eighth paragraph.

Right now, I’m beginning to revise the sequel to “Earthbow”, which is multi-volumed and is so long I frequently refer to it as “The Book That Intends to Eat Delaware.” In my first draft—surprise, surprise—all of my tension and action was in the second chapter while the first was largely characterization. I’m trying to figure out a way to reverse the two chapters, or alternate scenes from both.

I haven’t mentioned short stories so far and for a very good reason—I only rarely come up with an idea for one. Once I actually have an idea the chances are 50-50 that the resulting story will not be publishable quality. I suppose you could say that I have more trouble with the beginnings of short stories than I do with their endings, if by that we mean that I can’t get a new short story started, no matter how hard I stare at the screen or “free-write”. On the other hand, a short story that never comes into existence can hardly be faulted for having a bad beginning.

So, who here has troubles with writing the beginnings of novels or short stories? If you do, what kinds of difficulties present themselves? How have you overcome them? Any tips you can pass on to the rest of us?

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ENDINGS

Endings give me lots more trouble than beginnings. Part of this is the fault of National Novel Writing Month. For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is a yearly challenge to authors to write 50,000 words on any fiction project between November 1 and Nov 30.

I’ve participated and “won” five years since I started doing NaNo back in 2003. “Winning” in NaNo, as I said, is completing 50,000+ words before midnight on Nov. 30. The problem is what if you haven’t finished your first draft by then? What happens on Dec. 1? The correct answer should be that you continue writing but at a less frenetic pace. Er, not my answer. In my case, I take a long nap, and wake up the next Nov. 1. ;-P

Currently, I have five novels that are lacking their endings. Every one of them was involved in NaNo in some way—even the last part of “The Book That Intends To Eat Delaware.” If I stop writing a novel part of the way through, I have serious trouble picking up where I left off—even if I have a detailed outline for the rest of the book. Novel manuscripts to which you cannot guarantee complete endings do not attract publishers for some reason. I think I need professional help. Any ideas gratefully accepted!

So I sometimes have trouble writing the end of novels—do I have trouble writing the ends of short stories? Not often. On the rare occasion that I’m writing a short story I write the whole thing pretty much in one sitting. If I’m actually writing and completing a short story, you’ll know it—the sky turns a lovely shade of sky-blue-pink and you can see multi-colored stars during the day. Sometimes they sing but they’re too dignified to dance.

Is there anyone reading this who has trouble with unearthing the ends of their t/a/i/l/s/ tales? Has NaNoWriMo ever been involved? What else gave you trouble? What did you do to complete your story? Oh, it isn’t? Sorry! I’ve thought about finding a writing partner—has anyone tried that?

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Well, that’s Beginnings and Endings. That brings us to Middles and Dingles.

“Dingle” is a work-in-progress short story that’s been without a middle or an ending for almost two decades.

I liked the beginning ever since it fooled me into writing it down. I wasn’t concerned when I started—after all “Dingle” was going to be a –short- -story- so, naturally, I would come up with the rest of it as I typed.

Not so much.

“Dingle” and I could use some help. Please read what’s below and see if you have any ideas about what will happen next. If you do, please consider adopting “Dingle”. What’s more if you can turn “Dingle” into a complete story, we’ll work out some kind of ownership thing which will probably amount to me giving you my section or what’s left of it after revision. In addition, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books as a thank you.

You can write short suggestions for finishing “Dingle” in the Comments if you like. Naturally, revisions of the current paragraphs are fair game. If you write the rest of the story, please send it to me at KhivasMommy AT gmail DOT com . When my next turn comes to blog here at YAAYNHO (in three weeks), I’ll report back on any suggestions, etc that I’ve received.

Please don’t leave a poor defenseless little story part on its own. Thank you!

Sherry Thompson, author of “Seabird” (http://amzn.to/bKBQ7x ) “Earthbow vol.1” (http://amzn.to/b9vDW1 ) and “Earthbow vol.2” ( http://amzn.to/bw3UCe )

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Dingle (work in progress)

Sherry Thompson

Critter scuffed his way across the bare, unvarnished floor, sneezing at the dust he’d stirred up. It was colder today than he’d expected. He wrapped his quilted robe tighter about him, and then retied the rope belt. If Magnus didn’t come soon, he’d have to light a brazier just to keep warm. And that would attract the Night Watchers. Not something you wanted to do, when it was nearly dusk.

He shuffled over to the one window and glared down at the path. Not a sign of Magnus, ...or of anyone else. Maybe, if he went outside and yanked hard on the chain, he could get that blasted shutter to close over the window. Then, it wouldn’t matter if he lit a fire in the brazier or not. The Watchers could do a lot, but they couldn’t see through wood. At least, not the last he’d read.

Blast Magnus! Icy air was seeping in the through the window, even though it was on the lee side of the cottage. Well, that was it. Might as well go and try to close the window.

Critter thrust his dagger and sheath under the ragged rope of his belt, and crept to the door. He stood a moment with the side of his head so close to the surface that his ear kept flicking. Not a sound, except the tiny ones of his held breath and the soft whoosh of his ear fur against the rough wood. Might as well try as not.

He took a great breath, and slipped through the door as noiselessly as he was able. It seemed a shade brighter outside than it had in, but the coming of sunset was undeniable. Shivering from nervousness as much as cold, Critter scuttled to the right front corner of the cabin and peeked around it. Nothing there but the larxs bushes, their stringy leaves black and rustling in the last light of the sun. He crept between the closest one and the side wall. Merhule, the shutter chain was high! Been so long since he’d tried to close the window, he’d near forgot...

A sudden, familiar scent tickled his nose. Critter scarcely began to turn, before he found clammy skin pressed over his nose passages, simultaneous with a strong blow to his midriff. The combined assaults made all the air in his lung burst from his mouth. He choked, unable for the moment to fight back.

The ghost of a giggle blew warmly into his right ear. The grip about his midriff loosened enough for him to pull away from the hand on his nose.

“Magnus! I’ll skin you for that...”

“Not Magnus, imp. Merhule! What are you doing? Oh, the shutter.”

Critter leaned against the wall and gasped in air, as the newcomer reached up and easily pulled the shutter down and closed. Briefly, while Dingle was occupied with the task, Critter considered darting off into the darkness. But, before the thought was more than half-formed, it was already too late.

Dingle had grasped his elbow and was guiding him back toward the door.

“Waiting for Magnus, what?” Dingle chuckled deep in his throat. “Might not be coming tonight, what. Might not. Might not, at that.” He shook his head, as he closed the door between them and the outside world.

Thompson/Dingle