On writing endings...

Frustrating novelist, thy name is Stephen King.

The master of the macabre, one of the most prolific writers of the last (insert crazy length of time here), has written some classic works of fiction.They may not be Shakespeare or Mark Twain or Tolkien, but there's no denying they're popular and considered must-reads by many.

So why is it he seems to struggle with endings?

I spent about a year and a half reading his masterwork, the Dark Tower saga. Seven books, a few thousand pages. And I got to the end and couldn't believe my eyes. It was just like a punch to the gut. I was shocked that after I had spent a year and a half reading these seven books that I would be left with what I discovered on the last page. (Note: don't think this means I'm discouraging you from reading the books. On the contrary, they should be must-reads for anyone who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or any other fantasy stories.)

(Image created by Michael Whalen) http://www.darktowercompendium.com/fottergrafs-dt7.html

Just last week, I finally finished the uncut version of The Stand, considered by some to be King's best work. Again, an engrossing tale, although it did take me a little while to get into the story.

But again, I got to the end and found it wanting.

I'm not going to spoil the details of either story, but suffice it to say, the endings could have used some work.

In his defence (for now, anyway), these are the only two Stephen King books I've read. But it makes me nervous as I delve into some of his other work. And I plan to read a number of his books as I explore the connections between The Dark Tower series and other books (Salem's Lot, The Stand, etc.).

I don't limit my criticism to King, either. I read Stieg Larsson's trilogy – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, etc. – and loved it. But the ending of the final book was a little rushed and went out with a whimper rather than a bang. Does this mean the time I spent reading the three books was wasted? Not at all, but I would have appreciated a little more of a payoff in the end.

Perhaps my disappointment is the result of watching so many movies/TV in my life. I've grown to expect a certain concreteness to an ending. Obviously, there will be times when an 'ending' leaves room for a return to the universe (See X-men: The Last Stand for an example) and that's fine. If a film makes hundreds of millions of dollars, it will almost always spawn at least one sequel.

But I feel I, as a reader, deserve more after investing hours and hours in a hefty tome. Am I on the fringe with this opinion? Should I simply accept that sometimes a story has a *blah* ending?

Perhaps I should, but I still prefer closure from a story.

Stephen King's official website

The Dark Tower official website

Talking to the strange

My day job as a reporter often requires me to deal with irate people.
Sometimes they're upset with me, although not very often.
Usually, they're upset about some perceived injustice done upon them or someone they know. Sometimes the injustice is a real one, other times it's been exaggerated by the caller.
In the latter case, I'm understanding. Who hasn't been in a situation where a problem arises and it seems worse than it actually is.
Every now and then, however, I'm required to deal with someone's rant.
So how do I separate the story from the fact I can't take this person seriously? Or the fact that I find what they're saying offensive?
It's a dilemma I don't have to deal with very often, but it does come up from time to time.
When it does, I suppose the toughest thing to remember is that I'm not engaging this person in a debate or an argument. I'm simply listening, writing down what they're saying and throwing out a question now and then for clarification (and to let them know I'm still listening.)
But when it comes time to write a story based on such an interview, it becomes difficult. It's like separating the wheat from the chaff. I have to pick out the ideas that follow the story and put them together into something coherent.
Beyond that, I also have to worry about the possibility of a lawsuit. I mean, I can't just print something because I want to. It has to be true.
So I have to listen to people who tell me someone is conspiring against them, nod politely, and keep thinking to myself that I'll get myself a coffee as a reward for suffering through the insanity.

Fulfill the dream

Author's note: This is based on a personal dream involving my favourite hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. I decided against using the actual name of the team in case I ever turn this into something more.

Chris couldn't explain why he was an Aces fan. Friends asked him all the time, and all he could say was that he'd never known anything else.
What made his choice of teams unusual was the fact they were atrocious, had been so since long before Chris was born, and looked as though they would be for the foreseeable future.
"Why did you pick such a crappy team?" was the question he had to answer at least once a week.
His response was often something like "My grandfather's been a fan all his life and he got me interested."
Always because of Grampy, who actually remembered the last time the team won the championship.
But Chris really had different thoughts when it came to his favourite team.
Some day I'm going to own that team. Someday I'm going to give this city a winner.
Chris was nothing if not a dreamer. He'd had this notion in his head since he was a little boy. He would run that team.
He'd hear people say they could run the team better than the clowns in charge, but they were usually just blowing off steam following another loss by the sad-sack group.
Chris would be the first to admit he was as guilty of the bellyaching as the next fan, but he was the only armchair coach/owner who had a plan to actually run the team.
Luck would certainly play a part in his plan, but then, when doesn't it?
But this would require something more. It would need ambition, hard work and the willingness to give up other things in order to achieve the goal.
Despite the complexity of achieving it, his goal was simple.
Chris was going to become the owner of the Aces, and bring a championship banner to his beloved team, the first in nearly half a century.
He kept it to himself to avoid the ridicule that was sure to accompany such a bold statement. But he knew he could do it. He knew he could bring an end to the ineptitude that had plagued his favourite team for so long.
He just needed to work out how.

A knock and strange triangles

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked.
That's the question I find myself asking when these conspiracy theorists bring me there wild ideas about some lost artifact that they claim will change our world forever.
"This is what I get for opening the door," I thought.
It's a mistake I make all the time. Every time someone comes calling at my office door I can't resist. I can't take the chance that this time it might be something worthwhile.
But every time, I'm disappointed, and sometimes mildly irritated that these people waste my time with their ridiculous ideas.
Like the guy who came in a few months ago, claiming he had information that would lead to a secret energy source that would solve the problem of the world's dwindling oil reserves.
I looked at him and told him he was the third person in a week to come to me with that idea. I admit, I lied to him. He was actually the sixth, but I wanted to spare his feelings a little.
But this time, for the first time in months, I was intrigued, even if only slightly.
"Look, this could fundamentally change the way we look at our world," the visitor said.
"I'm sure it could, but you haven't answered my question. I still want to know what this has to do with me."
The visitor paused and looked at the paper he'd been explaining to me. It was worn and faded, but I could still make out the image of a stylized triangle.
I took a closer look at the faded image. There was something familiar about it.
"I'll be damned," I whispered. "That's impossible."
The visitor sat down across from me, smiling.
"I told you it would be worth your while."
He was right. When I looked at that image, I saw something I thought I'd never see outside my parents' notebooks. I thought it was just something they'd doodled over and over, the same way I drew little trees when I was lost in thought.
But this, this was different. As far as I knew, this design had been exclusive to my parents imaginations and their doodles.
"You need to tell me where you found this. Right now."
"Perhaps a drink is in order? We've got a lot to talk about," my visitor said.
For once, I was glad I'd answered the knock at my door.

The original

It's tough to come up with an original idea. I mean, hasn't everything been thought of already?

English author and journalist Christopher Booker wrote a book called The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, which distilled everything ever written down to seven plots: overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy and rebirth.

So how do I come up with something original if there's only those seven stories? Seems tough. Especially when you look around pop culture today and see nothing but remakes, sequels or adaptations. How does a writer come up with something original?

I've been exposed to a massive amount of pop culture in my life, almost 25 years. Everything from Sesame Street to Star Wars, all kinds of music and literature. Surely it's impacted my thinking and my imagination. Where do I come up with something new and different.

I guess it's a matter of taking one of those seven plots and adding my own twists to the idea. I've been reading some articles about free-writing; just sitting down and putting words on paper or on the computer screen. No self-editing or anything, just see what comes out. And I see the value in such an exercise. It's like brainstorming.

It's a matter of keeping a notepad or something with me at all times so I can write an idea down when it comes to me. I just need to do this.

I'm not fooling myself. I realize this is going to be tough, but it's something I need to do. I know I have some good ideas, I just need to get them from my head to the page.

Here goes nothing...

I love poker.

I love to play poker. I love to watch poker on television. It's a fantastic game. I play it online and, whenever possible, play live. Online, the game provides a relatively mindless distraction along with allowing you to improve the math skills (calculating pot odds, counting outs, etc.) involved in poker. Playing live is an opportunity to get together with friends, share a few laughs, enjoy a few adult beverages, and (hopefully) win a lot of money from your friends.

I'm by no means a great player myself. I've definitely improved over the past few years, but I'm still what would be charitably described as a moderately-skilled amateur. I've no ambitions to ever be a person who can make a living playing a game, but it's a good way to relax and unwind.

But I've thought about it, turning poker playing into a career. It was certainly never more than a little imagination run wild, but it's something I've thought about. Realistically, the only thing I ever want to do in terms of entering the larger poker world would be participate in the main event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). For anyone unfamiliar with the event, it's a $10,000 buy-in event, where the game is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. It's really the only game on television, because it's the easiest to explain and understand.

Participating in that event remains a dream, albeit a tough one to follow.

Then I got to thinking (yes, that is what the burning smell has been). There are other ways to pursue this dream.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've wanted to try my hand at writing a book for a few years. The notion festered for awhile in the back of my mind, but recently, it found a spot near the top of my to-do list. Much like my poker skills, it may be something that will never become a serious pursuit. But unlike poker playing, this is something I feel I have a legitimate shot doing.

So as I tried to come up with an idea, I found myself playing online poker, just as a way to get the creative juices flowing. And it hit me.

Why not try writing a poker novel?

Not exactly the most brilliant idea ever, but I figured I might as well start with something relatively easy, something I'm familiar with.

So over the next few weeks, I'm going to post some bits of writing that will (hopefully) turn in to a poker novel. I've already written most of a beginning.

Follow along as I try my hand at the Great Canadian Novel :P

With the stroke of a pen...

I've always wanted to try my hand at writing a book. Specifically a novel. Non-fiction is great, and I read a lot of it, but I don't think I'm enough of an authority on anything to write a non-fiction book.

It's been something that's been sitting in the back of my mind for years, but I've never really done anything with the idea. My mother sometimes says I should write a book, and maybe build a career like Michael Patterson in "For Better or For Worse." He started out as a journalist, worked his way up to a magazine editor, and eventually had a novel published. Sure, he's just a character in a comic strip, but that doesn't mean I can't do the same thing.

I want to write something for myself. Not necessarily drawn from my own experiences, although that would certainly be part of it.

So I'm going to start posting some ideas on here, just as a way to get feedback. Later on, I'll post some samples of what I come up with.

All of this is hopefully going to lead to participating in National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November. It's another of those things I look at every year and think "I should do this." This year, it's going to be "I'm doing this."

I should be posting the first ideas in the next week or so. I've got a few written down, and I'm going to flesh them out a bit, and then post them here. I'm sure many will be garbage, but that's the nature of writing. Much of it ends up being worthless, but buried in all the detritus can be something mind-blowing. Time for me to find that something.

-BT