All's Well That Ends Well

I'm happy to report that in the fight between me and The Novel That Would Not Behave, I won.

Oh, sure, I gave up on the word count issue. It was what it was, and since it reads fast, I don't mind. (At least, I'm telling myself I don't mind.)

However, what was interesting with my problems with the ending was that...I was writing the characters wrong.

It took a while to figure out, and I blame the fact that my last heroine was a rather kick-butt type for some of it. But, really, if one creates a supporting male character who is there to, pretty much, be the smart, handsome muscle, the guy who saves the day physically while the females do all the thinking, then logic demands that he actually, well, save the day.

Long, painful story short -- I was making "him" the damsel in distress and making "them" the valiant heroes. Surprisingly, it didn't work. The moment I actually relaxed and let my characters do what they would naturally do? Bingo, book's done.

So, since it's now with my beta readers and none of them have had anything horrible to say, I feel that I can take a deep breath. And then remind myself that it's easier to edit if you write it correctly the first time.

And I still bet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dame Agatha Christie never had this problem, either. Though I'm sure Watson and Hastings did...

Cheryl Walker