Hey Humans,
Sigh. This is the second Monday in a row I've missed blogging. So, I think I'm going to move my blogging days to once a week. Friday. That seems to be what is working best. :D
So! The Endings. Of Stories. Are Hard. And not even just writing them. It can be hard READing them. Sometimes when you read a book and you're just so in love with it... reading the ending is like "NOOO I want MORE!" I have read books like that. But usually I get this feeling of accomplishment when I finish a book. Usually. Occasionally I want the book to last foreverrrr.
But there is a different feeling that comes with different endings right? The ones that you don't see coming a mile away. That last three pages of the book that DESTROY the world and make the happy endings impossible. Sometimes those endings are fun. Sometimes they are not.
I'm not much of a perfect, Happily Ever After kind of person. Nor am I the Shakespearian "KILL THEM ALL" kinda gal, either. I do like endings that are happy! But only if they are earned. What I mean by that is there has to be something terrible which happens to cripple the happiness.
I know that sounds dreadful, but let me explain. I like stories when the Happily Ever After is in sight... and then something happens, and the world seems to crumble around the characters. But then, amidst the rubble, they can have the hope they WILL find their Happily Ever After and it WILL all be okay.
I don't like being directly given the Happily Ever After. I like to know that it's coming.
That's how stories live forever. If they are open-ended, in a "Finish this story yourself" kind of a way. But not always.
Speaking of endings... Divergent... Sigh... I'll rant about that later but for now I want to keep this section Spoiler-Free for those of you who haven't read the ENTIRE Divergent Series. ;)
The other type of endings are character endings. I won't get dark. But it can be hard to think about how you are going to continue a character! And when the book ends, where are they going to be? That is the main question I ask myself about a lot of my characters.
A few in particular... shh. I won't give that away.
After Rewritten is published this blog is gunna be so much fun... with the teasers and the SPOILERS I could give... hehe. November 1st everyone. November 1st. Just saying. ;D
It's a strange thing to be able to decide what to write about a character. As I was writing yesterday I looked back over my last book for a reference, and a few chapters earlier so that I could quote a character. The weird part of that was writing down a quote... a quote. I was QUOTING my own character!
But that wasn't even the weirdEST part. The weirdest part was writing down this particular quote... and then continuing it. And the reason that's weird is probably clear to you by now. When you quote someone from experience or from the internet it isn't your place it continue what they were saying. They had a meaning in their mind and they already continued the thought. If you add your own words then you're not quoting. It's false!
But not in the case of a fiction writer. The "people" say whatever you want them to and yet you are quoting them! Its very abstract way.
It's a weird feeling.
One of my favorite quotes is from fellow writer Truman Capote. He says, "You can't blame a writer for what the characters say." And as much as one wants to say, "Hang on, what? You totally can," Mr Capote is right. It's true. I think some people think that writers can make the characters say anything you want them to. While this is theoretically true. In reality it is false.
When you create a character, the things they say or don't say have to be in line with that character. You can't, in fact, make a character say anything you want. Not unless you're prepared to change the character. So, the correct thing to say is that a writer can make any kind of person they want. But the thing with characters is that it's very hard to change them once they take root in your mind.
I have created a character that I decided I didn't like, but my mind was unable to change her. So I eventually just took her out. The reason for my not liking her was the way her character was forming in the things she said and the way she acted (it wasn't my fault! She ran off all on her own).
That can be frustrating sometime.
Okay, a lot of the time.
But if you are a careful writer you can create characters how you want them in the first place instead of all... that business.
Alright. I'm done now.
Don't read the rant unless you've already READ (yes read, not watched) the whole Divergent Series. Thanks.
Love to all!!
-Helen
P.S. RANT
WARNING: FOLLOWING RANT CONTAINS MAJOR **SPOILERS** FOR THE DIVERGENT TRILOGY! DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE SERIES.
So! Divergent. Loved the series. It was great.
The ending... ruined... my... life.
VERONICA ROTH KILLED HER!! I WAS SO SHOCKED.
I did not expect that. At all! Someone needs to tell Veronica Roth that one of the aspects of a Main Character is that they are immortal and CANNOT DIE! *note: of course that is completely false, but whatever. This is a rant!
Again with the endings. UGH. That made me so so so terribly sad. It was dreadful. And Tobias... *CRY*
That hurt my heart.
But! Just because the ending was tragic... it didn't ruin the whole story for me. I still love the trilogy. I guess its actually a series if you count Four, which was a great book too. But wow. Just wow.
It was great book, especially with ending, not in spite of it. It was so original with its unique storylines and ugh.
That's how I want to write. I know I can do it...
Anyways... conclude rant.
Comment to let me know if you agree...about characters...or the endings... or Divergent... or anything. :)
