You've got to feel for writers who set out to create an unforgettable series.
You just know that, one day, that series is going to have to end. And you know that the conclusion to that series isn't going to satisfy everyone.
A little while ago I sat down to plot out a trilogy of YA books. It was going great until I began plotting book three and realised that there was absolutely no way I could ever come to a satisfactory conclusion in the space of one book. I made it a Quadrilogy to cater for the extra story, but the darndest thing happened.
I couldn't plot the final book to save my life.
I attempted it several times over a period of weeks. Every time I decided it was too derivative, it was too sappy, the plot didn't work, I couldn't cover enough ground...at the low point I even played with the idea of making it a Pantalogy. Around then, I knew I was just extending the series so I wouldn't have to worry about a satisfying conclusion.
I come to this post now, almost a year since I first had that problem, having just finished the rough outline of a story I'm happy with. It's dark. It's dark as all hell, and I spare no character the sword. But it harks back to the earlier books and ties up thematic loose ends. It uses the more memorable images from way back in chapter two of book one to tie things together. By god, it even made me cry at one point. That's a good sign.
Why did it take a year? I honestly can't answer. All I know is that conclusions are bloody hard to write. I've got no advice to make it easier, other than don't lose hope with them if you're struggling to get one done. They will work themselves out.
A special good luck to George R.R. Martin, though. How the hell he's going to wrap A Song of Ice and Fire up is anyone's guess.
You just know that, one day, that series is going to have to end. And you know that the conclusion to that series isn't going to satisfy everyone.
A little while ago I sat down to plot out a trilogy of YA books. It was going great until I began plotting book three and realised that there was absolutely no way I could ever come to a satisfactory conclusion in the space of one book. I made it a Quadrilogy to cater for the extra story, but the darndest thing happened.
I couldn't plot the final book to save my life.
I attempted it several times over a period of weeks. Every time I decided it was too derivative, it was too sappy, the plot didn't work, I couldn't cover enough ground...at the low point I even played with the idea of making it a Pantalogy. Around then, I knew I was just extending the series so I wouldn't have to worry about a satisfying conclusion.
I come to this post now, almost a year since I first had that problem, having just finished the rough outline of a story I'm happy with. It's dark. It's dark as all hell, and I spare no character the sword. But it harks back to the earlier books and ties up thematic loose ends. It uses the more memorable images from way back in chapter two of book one to tie things together. By god, it even made me cry at one point. That's a good sign.
Why did it take a year? I honestly can't answer. All I know is that conclusions are bloody hard to write. I've got no advice to make it easier, other than don't lose hope with them if you're struggling to get one done. They will work themselves out.
A special good luck to George R.R. Martin, though. How the hell he's going to wrap A Song of Ice and Fire up is anyone's guess.
