Tuesday's Inspiration - Quote from John Gardner

When I read this bit in On Becoming A Novelist by John Gardner, I chuckled for it seemed to nail many of the writers I know."No novelist is hurt by a natural inclination to go to extremes, driving himself too hard, dissatisfied with himself and the world around him and driven to improve on both if he can."

For me, this means that in the worlds I create there is the chance to make things work out for the characters I write about. Also I hope the reader will see in the happy and even sad endings the hope things will be brighter for them. Like many novelists I began in short stories and then graduated to novels. Sometimes I still write shorter things but mostly when I do, there is some connection between the stories.

Take Amber Chronicles, There is a connection between the tales in the stories. They're about finding love and learning to want for the other a happy ending. The main character appears to be young and selfish but she strives for love. Her journey toward the end teaches her lessons. Does she succeed? Hopefully, her happy ending will be the one she wants.

When writing short stories I was taking a small slice from the life of the characters. These stories pointed to the possibility but often did not give more than that satisfactory ending.

What about you? What are you trying to improve in your reach for the ending of the novel you're working on?