Growing Pains

I’m wondering why it’s so difficult for me to end my novel and have come up with three possible reasons:

1. I’m afraid to end it because then I’ll have to start working on processing it for editors
2. I can’t end it because the subject is still haunting me and I can’t let it go
3. I don’t think I have an ending that’s good enough

So, to explore these problems further and with possible solutions…

Nr. 1. The best way to counteract this one is to start work on the profile immediately. That way I won’t have the luxury of hiding behind the “no-ending” as an excuse not to start profiling. I have the templates ready and starting work on it no later than next Saturday is as good a timeframe as any.

Nr. 2. I have two main plots in the book and one of them is still a live issue for me. I’m always revising that part, adding, editing, rephrasing, etc. I have to stop it. Closing that plot for any editing no later than next Friday sounds like a plan.

Nr. 3. This is a problem. This is definitely a problem. An ending needs to be some kind of resolution. I’ve closed most of the threads in the story but I need to have it all make sense in the end. I want the main character(s) to have grown. Perhaps this is linked to issue nr 2 in a way. Perhaps I need to grow myself before I can send my main character off with some kind of life lesson. Timeframe on that? That’s a toughie…