Managed to build up a pretty decent cushion for the week ahead. At my father’s recommendation (I didn’t tell him anything about the story) I decided to write the ending this weekend. It was liberating in a way. As it stands now, I don’t really like it, but the nice thing is that I know longer have impossible expectations for it. I discovered that I was expecting the ending to deliver a powerful punch to the reader, and the reality is that even in great works of literature I don’t believe many of the endings to be as strong as other parts of the story. So, yes I kinda hate it, but I can always change it. And it has given me direction, and helped to outline character arcs for the MCs of the story. I also managed to write Plot Point 2, as well as some build up around the relevant scenes. I think this is great, as I can get some of the necessary elements out onto paper and dissect what I need to add to make it work. Its like building a binary tree, you add a level and keep going, to infinity if you like. So, I am probably at level 3 right now, a root node, 2 sub-nodes, and 2 sub-nodes off of each of those. The four bottom nodes are 1st Act, Plot Point1, Plot Point 2, and Act III. Forgive the computer programming analogy. Here’s an excerpt:
“Tiny, Inc. is a front for military weapons development. Development
of a new generation of weapon is costly, and required greater funding
than the government could provide through traditional methods. You
see, the same scientists responsible for driving back the first
intergalactic attack were also responsible for protecting against the
second.”
“The second?” All eyes look towards Klan.
“There was no second,” someone challenged. Macks thought it
may have been him.
“Not yet. But it comes as surely as the stars stay suspended above.
As sure as the Restoration, the second wave comes and it is greater
than the first. Far greater, and far deadlier. You think we are
zealous fighters, yes? But you have not seen anything yet. For you
do not understand the true nature of the threat.”
“What is the true Nature?” Macks found himself genuinely curious.
Salah crossed the last distance to the golden-tipped ‘bot. A sudden
burst of urgency tugged at Macks heart. “What is it, Klan?” The man
was taking too long to answer. Salah was powering up the death ray,
and his mirror would be no defense against that.
“Tell me now, Klan” he commanded. “Tell me the true nature.”
“Betrayal,” he breathed. Butternut vaporized the man where he sat.
