Ending A Series ~ Part 1: Practicalities
The thing is, Gentle Reader, I've never ended a series before. I've ended plenty of stories, somewhere in the vicinity of ten novels, and two masters thesis, but Timeless will be the first time I've ever completed an entire run of books.
As it came time to finish Timeless, I realized I had no idea how to do this. So I did what any good scientist would do, gathered data, and researched how other people did it. Most of my favorite books are fantasies and space operas from the 1980s and 90s. Thank goodness these have endings. I can't draw on urban fantasy because, while many of them are in series form, few have actually bothered to end yet. And there aren't a lot of comedic books in self-contained series, so fantasy would have to be my model.
Nevertheless, from what I could tell, regardless of fantasy, sci-fi, comedic, or alternate history, there seems to be two acceptable ways to end a series.
1. Romantically. Even if the books aren't really romantic. This can be a reunion of long lost lovers, or a marriage of two we've been following all along, or simply an intimate moment between wife and husband after a long slog through many pages.
2. A Cute Moment of Character. By this I mean a character being, doing, or saying something pithy and totally within personality designed to leave the reader with a friendly feeling and a smile on her face.
There is also the standard high fantasy poetical ending, but I didn't really count this as I only found one or two stand alone novels that went with that approach. And really, can you imagine what a poetical ending for my books might be?
And Alexia stood in the doorway of doom,
while her husband got naked by the light of the moon,
and Lord Akeldama pretended to swoon,
and Ivy put on a hat like a spoon.
The End
Or something.
I bet you all want to know which approach I went with. Well I did spend some time considering the matter. I was inclined to go with neither. But would readers feel somehow betrayed by this? Is there an expectation of either option A or B? That is the question. In the end (pun intended) it happened quite naturally and I am really rather pleased with the final note of the book.
Well my dear Gentle Reader, when it comes time for you to read Timeless, I am in no doubt that you all will tell me exactly how you feel about my decision.
Sf Signal's MIND MELD on The Best Endings In SF/F Series
GAIL'S DAILY DOSE
Your Infusion of Cute . . .
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
PROJECT ROUND UP
Deportment & Deceit ~ The Finishing School Book the Second:
Working rough draft.
Back to struggling, it's my process.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ The Finishing School Book the First: Release date Feb 2013. In production. Have seen initial cover mock-up and it is stunning!
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 1: Printed volume releases March 1. Have seen cover sketch for Soulless Vol. 2 (AKA Changeless) and it is beyond fabulous!
Timeless ~ Parasol Protectorate Book the Last, official release March 1. Some stores have already shipped.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First:
Release date fall 2013. She's started waking me up in the middle of the night with ideas.
Book News:
Timeless gets its first review. And quick on its heels comes the second.
Quote of the Day:
"And so the soldier: hung up his sword;
The hands that had hewn: turned to heal.
The loves she had lost: became different loves,
And the Martlet made: his mansion in the eaves.
The wolf-cub waited: by the wall of the house
And the people of the sea: sang them to sleep."
~ Mary Brown
As it came time to finish Timeless, I realized I had no idea how to do this. So I did what any good scientist would do, gathered data, and researched how other people did it. Most of my favorite books are fantasies and space operas from the 1980s and 90s. Thank goodness these have endings. I can't draw on urban fantasy because, while many of them are in series form, few have actually bothered to end yet. And there aren't a lot of comedic books in self-contained series, so fantasy would have to be my model.
Nevertheless, from what I could tell, regardless of fantasy, sci-fi, comedic, or alternate history, there seems to be two acceptable ways to end a series.
1. Romantically. Even if the books aren't really romantic. This can be a reunion of long lost lovers, or a marriage of two we've been following all along, or simply an intimate moment between wife and husband after a long slog through many pages.
2. A Cute Moment of Character. By this I mean a character being, doing, or saying something pithy and totally within personality designed to leave the reader with a friendly feeling and a smile on her face.
There is also the standard high fantasy poetical ending, but I didn't really count this as I only found one or two stand alone novels that went with that approach. And really, can you imagine what a poetical ending for my books might be?
And Alexia stood in the doorway of doom,
while her husband got naked by the light of the moon,
and Lord Akeldama pretended to swoon,
and Ivy put on a hat like a spoon.
The End
Or something.
I bet you all want to know which approach I went with. Well I did spend some time considering the matter. I was inclined to go with neither. But would readers feel somehow betrayed by this? Is there an expectation of either option A or B? That is the question. In the end (pun intended) it happened quite naturally and I am really rather pleased with the final note of the book.
Well my dear Gentle Reader, when it comes time for you to read Timeless, I am in no doubt that you all will tell me exactly how you feel about my decision.
Sf Signal's MIND MELD on The Best Endings In SF/F Series
GAIL'S DAILY DOSE
Your Infusion of Cute . . .
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
PROJECT ROUND UP
Deportment & Deceit ~ The Finishing School Book the Second:
Back to struggling, it's my process.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ The Finishing School Book the First: Release date Feb 2013. In production. Have seen initial cover mock-up and it is stunning!
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 1: Printed volume releases March 1. Have seen cover sketch for Soulless Vol. 2 (AKA Changeless) and it is beyond fabulous!
Timeless ~ Parasol Protectorate Book the Last, official release March 1. Some stores have already shipped.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First:
BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!
Book News:
Timeless gets its first review. And quick on its heels comes the second.
Quote of the Day:
"And so the soldier: hung up his sword;
The hands that had hewn: turned to heal.
The loves she had lost: became different loves,
And the Martlet made: his mansion in the eaves.
The wolf-cub waited: by the wall of the house
And the people of the sea: sang them to sleep."
~ Mary Brown
You know I will. But with kindness and care, as befits my reviews. You know my style by now, I think.
(Though I'm a little sad the poem didn't make it - spoon hats to accompany the spoon corset! ;P)
In related news, my local B&N has already put the 'Soulless Vol.I' manga on their shelves. I didn't think this was kosher, so I resisted the urge to buy it ...
Although I did skim through it. There's an extra color page of Alexia's appearance in the library (two pages of the same). Just a printing error, so it may end up being a collector's item. ;)
I'm all at once looking forward to Timeless (since I discovered the books in November 2010), but I'm also a bit sad that the series is ending. I've had the problem with many series I've read - at the end I feel sad that I'm leaving the characters behind.
As long as I feel like that at the end of the book, it's a good ending. :)
Without spoiling, I just want to say that I fell in love with the 2nd POV. Very well done, Ms. Carriger! Thank you for sharing this world with us.
Felicity
(Silly hat in icon for Ivy Hisselpenny. And also because Egyptiana in Victorian England. Mostly for Ivy)
Poetic ending
Well, my dear author, i'm just reading Heartless and of course I just love it (pardon my poor english, i have the inconvenience of being french since a long time, well if you ask me, since i was born in fact).
I can't wait to read Timeless, even if i did not finish Heartless already. Hope WHSMITH in Paris will have it the day it will be released. An hope we will come to us, poor french readers, in France precisely.
So, i must return to my class now, and just thank you for your books and your most amusing blog, it just make me in a good mood when i read it.
I do not anticipate that problem with the Parasol Protectorate Miss Gail, each book is rounded up, with one or two loose strands, to leave us wanting the next book in line. But not so much as to leave the reader frustrated (apart from Book 2, when I was desperate to know that Lord Maccon would see sense - even I knew that supernatural + preternatural would equal more than the sum of the parts). So I have every confidence.
ending the series