끝. Wakas. The End.

I am a writer who dislikes writing endings.

Which is kind of weird, right? As a writer, I should feel happy about getting to the end of my story. It’s an achievement, something to be celebrated, even in the simplest of ways. And yet, during the past few years I’ve realized a trend when I’m about to close a work of fiction: I stall.

Two or three chapters away from my ending, I stop looking at my manuscript altogether. I read or reread books, think of new stories to write, watch dramas or films . . .  I do anything to keep myself from writing those last few chapters, and all because I’ve gotten attached to my characters and don’t want to let them go yet.

It’s probably not a good thing, what I do, but hey . . . I’m pretty sure we all have our own quirks. I almost did the same routine with my #SparkNA novella, but I had a deadline to beat this time, and maybe that’s one of the reasons why I joined this class in the first place: to learn to discipline myself as a writer.

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It’s the month of May(hem)

The fact that I can now write another blog entry means I’ve already typed the words “THE END” on my #SparkNA manuscript–and believe me, I’d totally drink to that if I could–and am currently enjoying a few hours away from it. I have now spent a full 19 or so hours away from my still tentatively-titled book, and I’m just waiting for my editor friend, Rix, to give it a pass before I review and apply whatever changes she deems fit. I have already watched the latest episode of Running Man, eaten (almost) a whole bag of Lay’s Cheddar and Sour Cream Potato Chips, and finished Mina Esguerra’s My Imaginary Ex (which she had up for a giveaway until yesterday). Life is good.

Until Monday, I guess.

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What I really (really) want

And so we’ve come down to this: a month left to go before everyone in our #SparkNA class has to turn in our finished manuscripts for Anvil Publishing to review. Today, we all received a pep talk in the form of an email and while I usually read and re-read Mina’s emails to us several times within the day before moving on with my life, I didn’t do that today. Why?

Because she posed such a loaded question that my mind just exploded. And I had to pick up the pieces all day long.

Yes, while struggling with a bunch of other stuff at work. Thanks a lot, Mina.

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