With a title like ‘Endings’ you might think I’m quitting something, but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, I’m thinking about writing an ending to my SciFi/Comedy podcast ‘GalaxyBillies’.
For those of you who have been following GalaxyBillies, you know that there are only a few episodes left (three, I think). I’ve enjoyed writing and recording the story but, I must confess, I will be glad to have it finished.
Why? Certainly not because I don’t like the characters or the story itself. Discovering both has been a real joy for me but it has been a LOT of work. I’ve got other stories to write and a novel to finish revising. I’m just eager to get onto the next project is all.
The story has been a definite experiment for me too. I’m plotting as I write so I still don’t know exactly how it ends (although I do have some ideas). The question I’m asking myself now is “How much do I want to actually tie up all the loose ends?” I honestly don’t think the characters are done with me yet so I don’t want everything wrapped up too neatly.
I remember hearing an interview with L.E. Modesitt Jr. He mentioned that he always leaves loose ends behind when a story is finished. That leaves him with an easy way to get back into the flow if another story idea comes to him. I like that logic. To me, it also means that, in the minds of my readers, the characters continue on after the story is finished. I like that too. I think it makes everything feel more real.
Most of my favorite books and series have left me that way; with the feeling that life goes on. That always leaves me with the hope that more stories will come down the pike. That’s what I want to do for my readers too. I don’t think I’m being cruel by doing so either. I’m simply trying to let the enjoyment continue as long as possible.
So, with only a few episodes left, I’m still wondering what threads will be left hanging. Which characters will live and which will die? Whose lives will be changed forever? Lots of questions and little time left to answer them.
Personal Update
My holiday is practically over now. I feel refreshed, recharged and eager to get back to my writing projects. I’ve actually come up with a few new story ideas. One new one with Charlie the apprentice wizard, another one for VG Ford’s coming Anthology and another one for an Anthology I’ve heard about from another writer friend of mine. All that and even one more set in the near future that I think will be lots of fun. I can’t wait.
Remember that even while you’re leaving a few threads open, you won’t want to leave your threads from the first half of the book unfulfilled. They usually suggest that late promises, those introduced 2/3 way through the book are the ones you’ll want to leave untied for a future work.
I’m really glad you enjoyed this little foray into the genre. Even more importantly, I’d love for you to include a bit in your podcast once you’re done about, “What GalaxyBillies taught me?” on the importance of working outside your genre while you’re still unpublished. Can’t wait for your next episode of “Get Published”.
Not to worry, I won’t be leaving any of the big threads hanging but I do reserve the right to leave some of the smaller, more obscure ones. You may not even realize what they were until they show up in a future story. 🙂
Ooh, I want to read the near future one. Do you have any plans of podcasting another novel after Galaxy Billies, or are you going to keep the submission machine going?
I’m with Matthews on an episode of what you’ve learned.
I will definitely be podcasting more of my work but you might have to wait until next year for another novel. My Fantasy novel needs a severe rewrite before it can ever see the inside of a RSS Feed. I’ve also got a super-duper secret writing project coming up that will pull me away for a while. That story may or may not be podcast.
See, I’m thinking that the end of story episode would be a great place to talk about things like that. I heartily encourage questions for that episode. I also encourage people to send Easter Egg guesses for the show. The top two will join me in talking about GalaxyBillies.