A.J. Maguire

Near The End

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ajmaguire

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There’s a moment in every book where you’re so close to the end you can taste it and suddenly you lose all talent you ever possessed.

Poof!

Gone in an instant.

Or at least, this is what happens to me. It’s different for every writer, but it seems universal that we all come to a point where we realize what hacks we are.

The tension isn’t there. The characters are flat. The setting is nonexistent and we’ve discovered a love of one word that keeps repeating itself every other sentence.

Mine is the word ‘just’ if you’re wondering. He just managed to catch it. She just loved him. If she could just stop using the word just she might be capable of writing something worth reading.

I digress.

My moment of self-loathing always comes near the end of the novel. I’m sure there’s some psychology behind this, like I don’t want the story to end because I’ve spent so many hours commiserating with these characters that I just (see?) can’t let them go.

Or this is when my self-doubt rears its head because the next phase in this process (after editing) is querying and sweet holy banana’s on toast, how I hate querying.

Whatever the reasons, it’s there. And it’s a bear to get through. But if you’re a writer out there and you identify with anything I’ve said in this post, then allow me to stand in solidarity with you.

It sucks, but you’re not alone. Take a deep breath. Eat some ice cream. And let’s get back to work.

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Comments

5 responses to “Near The End”

  1. J.R. Shull Avatar
    J.R. Shull

    Yes, I can relate to this. At least, as it relates to moving between short stories. I haven’t yet completed a novel-length story.

    Reply
    1. ajmaguire Avatar
      ajmaguire

      My hat’s off to you for writing short stories. I’m trying that “short story every month” this year and I have to admit, it’s difficult. I keep wanting to expand instead of narrowing in on a single moment.

      Reply
      1. J.R. Shull Avatar
        J.R. Shull

        Yet, for me, the thought of planning a novel is daunting. Though I am trying and that is my goal! 😁

      2. ajmaguire Avatar
        ajmaguire

        Try pantsing it. Find a character and a big goal and then keep putting stuff in the way of that goal. I never “plan” the novel until I reach the 3/4 mark. Then I go back, revise what I’ve got, and write an outline for the last part of the book before plunging ahead. Granted, this might not work for you, but half the fun of writing is learning what works and what doesn’t.

      3. J.R. Shull Avatar
        J.R. Shull

        Yeah, I’ve thought about just starting with a free write. Thanks for the tip! 🙂 next time i’m feeling overwhelmed I’ll just try this.

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