I recently got a congrats for finishing a story of mine. My friend told me he was jealous because finishing a story is the best feeling.
I had to admit, I wouldn’t have thought that.
Don’t get me wrong–completing a writing project is amazing and a comes with a serious sense of accomplishment. But there is something about it that sort of makes me sad at the same time. Yes, it’s done, but that means it’s DONE. As in I don’t get to create any more on it. And writing a sequel or a series isn’t quite the same thing. That specific journey for the character is over.
I guess I feel that way sometimes when I read really good books, too, and am sad when they come to an end.
Anyone else get that feeling?
I absolutely agree with your friend.
Hmmm… I wonder why that is… 🙂
I write the middle, then the beginning, then the end, but those are my crappy papers and not fun fiction!
absolutely! many, many times i’ve wished that a book would just continue into infinity because i’ve gotten so wrapped up in the storyline and the characters that i just want it to go on and on. as for my own writing, i really don’t have a strong positive or negative feeling about bringing it to an end. for me, when it’s the end, that’s just it. it’s where it belongs. that may be because i write non-fiction and poetry, so there’s a different feel about endings. at least, to my way of looking at it there is. i’m not writing about characters that i’ve made up and become attached to in that way.
A thousand times, yes!
The first book that I was disappointed that ended was “Shogun? by James Clavell. Close to 1000 pages of great story telling, unlike the movies made of it. And currently I am reading the second of Patrick Rothfuss’ books, “A Wise Man’s Fear”.
I’m starting to get that feeling now, and we still have work to do!