Monday, January 20, 2014

How not to end a book


    Note to all authors - established, aspiring, self-published, gonna-be-the-next-Stephanie-Meyer, whatever.  As a reader, I do not do well with cliffhangers, previews, to-be-continued, teasers, and the-next-chapters-are-in-the-next book type endings.

    As a reader, I expect a complete story.  Yes, it may be part of a series.  Yes, the protagonist(s) may carry over into the next book.  Yes, the story may be just part of "the bigger story".  But I expect closure of the immediate plotline, with more, if not all of the loose ends tied up.

    It's like watching a series like CSI, Bones, or Cold Case on TV.  There may be a season-long personal-interest story involving the show's characters running in the background.  But you still get a complete story every week.

No comments: