Bonus 2 - Finishing

So, here we are at the end.  Or almost the end.  Of course, you don’t have to read this – like ‘Starting’, it’s not a story as such, just a chance for me, the writer, to speak more directly to you, the reader.  This time, I want to talk more about your writing.  The following mostly assumes that you a) want to write and b) have not written before.  Whilst I know it is always wrong to assume, I also have to start somewhere.

I hope you have enjoyed this meander through my imagination.  I hope at least one story has sparked your imagination!  Was there a character that stuck in your mind?  Or a story that left you teetering on a cliff-hanger that you are desperate to know the end of?  Are you inspired enough to finish it yourself?  Or to create something completely new?

There are a number of characters and stories that I would like to do more with, myself.  If you have read ‘The Mystery of Mannerley Manor’ (available on Lulu.com!), you will have recognised Julia, Emmaline and Valentina.  And there are characters from an unfinished National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) manuscript called ‘My Kingdom for a Pair of Ruby Slippers’ (Stella, Selisse and Pal) that popped up here and there.

But most of the characters are new.  DS Sam Hardy, of course, appeared several times.  Perhaps he deserves his own collection?  Maybe not 70 stories, but a deeper exploration of who he is and why he is.

And there are a number of stories, those vignettes I mentioned in ‘Starting’, that are clearly part of a much larger whole.  ‘Entering’ and ‘Arriving’ are particular examples.  What lies beyond the doors the characters are passing through?  What brought them to this point?  I feel NaNoWriMo calling!

I have seen writing described as a lonely business.  It is just the writer and their screen or page, after all.  But how can I be lonely with so many characters wandering or skipping or running through my mind?  Sometimes they stop and speak with me; sometimes they simply smile enigmatically and move on.

One thing I do want to urge, however, is that writers must be readers – or at least consumers of stories.  Read anything and everything, the good, bad and indifferent.  The more you read, the more you will learn about the craft of writing, simply by letting the author’s words wash over you.  Do you have a favourite book?  Why is it your favourite?  Is there a character that you really resonate with, either because they remind you of yourself, or the person you would like to be?

Perhaps more important is understanding the reasons why you dislike a particular book or character.  What has the author failed to convey to you?  How would you have written it?

I also suggest you do not stop at printed stories.  Enjoy films and television programmes of all kinds; variety will add spice to your own writing.  And I also want to encourage you to play video games that have a story element.  In a game, you are not only consuming somebody else’s words and ideas, you are engaging with the material in an entirely different way.  Where the story is linear, you follow the hero’s journey, partaking of their triumphs and failures.  But where the game involves moral choices, you will also learn something about yourself and about consequences.

Experiencing other people’s work will help you learn the rules of story-telling, and when and how to break them!  Because writing is about finding your voice and your rules.

There is really nothing like writing for having fun on your own.  Sitting at a keyboard – or with a pen and paper if you are ‘old school’ – and making words.  So this is my final word to you, dear Reader – don’t just read, write as well!  There are lots of resources online to help you get started.  Or you can see where my suggested exercise in ‘Starting’ took you and see if you can grow it into something larger.

I really do hope there is something in here to inspire you.  I really do hope you will share your stories with the world.