: Re: How can I make a talky, idea-based concept enjoyable I'm writing a psychological novel about different characters finding the meaning of their lives. But the ending reveals it was all part of

I think your instincts are correct. This structure isn't going to work as is. But that doesn't mean you can't build a great novel out of these pieces. I'd suggest one of three paths:

1) Drop the ending entirely: Does the book work as a psychological piece about people finding the meaning of their lives? If so, why do you need the ending? It might be important for you, the author, to know that it was all an experiment, but the reader doesn't necessarily need to know. I've encountered any number of books and movies that would have been much stronger if someone had just cut off the last chapter or last fifteen minutes.

2) Forget about making it a surprise: If the experiment narrative is an important one, don't try to shove it all into the last few pages. Develop it over the course of the book, in parallel to the main narrative. If you still want a twist, maybe you can withhold the information about how the two narratives intersect. For comparison, consider the first episode of This Is Us where we view several seemingly unrelated plotlines, only to see in the last few minutes how they all connect.

3) Make the ending minimal: This is kind of a combination of options 1 & 2, and essentially the same as @DPT 's answer. Write the story in such a way that the twist ending can be explained in a couple sentences, rather than over the course of an extended chapter. "As John and Mable embraced, Dr. Von Brun turned to his assistant. 'Well, that experiment turned out well.'" FADE TO BLACK

Load Full (0)

: Protagonist Goal and achieving it My MC is a famous singer/songwriter who is bad at writing lyrics. Her goal is to write commercially successful, deep, serious songs. How do I design the character

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: Once written down it's set in stone What's the strange property/disease/habit called in which you need everything you write down to be 'the truth' once it's written down. Even while drafting,

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: How to shorten a prologue? I understand that a prologue is meant to open up a story and introduce characters, themes, and the world to my audience. It is not supposed to be a long length

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: What challenges are there in writing a fantasy cookbook? I ask mostly out of curiosity. Obviously, a proper cookbook would involve real ingredients and not fantasy creatures. There's such a cookbook

: Re: How can I make a talky, idea-based concept enjoyable I'm writing a psychological novel about different characters finding the meaning of their lives. But the ending reveals it was all part of

More posts by @Moriarity138

: Protagonist Goal and achieving it My MC is a famous singer/songwriter who is bad at writing lyrics. Her goal is to write commercially successful, deep, serious songs. How do I design the character

: Once written down it's set in stone What's the strange property/disease/habit called in which you need everything you write down to be 'the truth' once it's written down. Even while drafting,

: How to shorten a prologue? I understand that a prologue is meant to open up a story and introduce characters, themes, and the world to my audience. It is not supposed to be a long length

: What challenges are there in writing a fantasy cookbook? I ask mostly out of curiosity. Obviously, a proper cookbook would involve real ingredients and not fantasy creatures. There's such a cookbook

Login to post a comment!

0 Comments

Back to top