The End is Near

[rthstewart]

I'm really kinda, sorta hoping that the final (really, really really final) chapter of TQSiT will be up on Friday.  Or Saturday.  Maybe Sunday.  I'm at about 10,000 words and I'm guessing I'm about 60 - 70% done, trying to remember everything I wanted to include and sure I'm going to forget something.  (Speaking of, if you are reading this and have been thinking, You know, Ruth really needs to do blah blah blah before the end, could you let me know?)

I also have a glimpse into Part 3 -- about 2,300 words of quotes, history, and scraps of dialogue.  It's a glimpse, nothing more, because, before I begin writing it in earnest, I have a heck of a lot of planning and outlining.  This is distressing as I typically work from outlines that say things like "Rule of Threes" or "Funeral."  Not so much on the detail which tells you just how little of Part 3 I have committed to hard drive.

So at the moment, Tebbitt and Susan are preparing for their talk that you knew had to come at the end of the last chapter with (yet another) shoe dropping, on Tebbitt's head.  I've had a working version of this scene for about 6 months and it's not working anymore.  I had him very angry and Susan self-protective, defensive and a little scornful.  I think he's feeling a huge measure of degenerate self disgust.  

Anyhow, onward and if you have any thoughts or observations, I always appreciate them..  

Comments

[lady_songsmith]

*breaks out the pom-poms*

It seems to me that Tebbitt probably would be rather disgusted with himself. The "Oh, my god, I have been hitting on jailbait!" reaction is strong. I kinda envision Susan patting his hand gently and saying (or at least thinking) "It's not your fault; I'm just that good."

Things to deal with before the end -- Uhm. Peter making sense at Susan over blame. Susan finding out how Edmund was told to stop; I imagine she's been worried.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

heh, well about two-thirds of that, I guess, which I really need to get to writing but not surprisingly, it's Tebbitt and Susan that are giving me the difficulty because there are SO many ways to get from point A to point B and only so many reasonable outcomes since she and mum are leaving town the next day. And, I guess this isn't really a spoiler, because if you think about it, it makes sense, but 2 ends as 1 did, with reunions to follow. Thanks for the affirmation on the "It's not your fault." Yep, that's more like where it should be, I think.

[lady_songsmith]

But 2 picked up right where 1 left off, and you're jumping ahead several years for 3, aren't you? So are we getting reunions in flashback or offscreen, then?

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

But 2 picked up right where 1 left off, and you're jumping ahead several years for 3, aren't you? So are we getting reunions in flashback or offscreen, then?

3 will (and has to) pick up where 2 leaves off. When I'd never intended to do Part 2, that organization made sense. I shot to Tash's Hell what little organizational outline I had between how I ended up writing Part 1 (especially Peter's relationship with Richard) and all of Part 2, there is now, too much story to tell. Like, the War. So, yeah, going there.

[min023.livejournal.com]

Cool! Um, things to wrap: sibling reunion, check; Susan's guilt, check; shoes on (or at) Tebbitt's head, check. Anything between Susan and the Colonel, or is that all nudge, nudge, wink, wink? Bye-bye Agnes? Confrontation (of sorts) between Susan and Mrs P? Oh, I don't know what I hope to see, or what still has to be tied up. Go ahead and surprise us; it'll all be brilliant anyway... : )

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Sibling reunion and guilt resolution to follow. But, I realized after reading this that I need to give a glimpse of that reunion in the What's To Come, so I'll add a bit there. Colonel, check; Agnes, check; Susan and Mum, check.

I don't know about brilliant. It will be DONE.

[autumnia]

Oh! The End is near! The End is near!

Hmm. I really can't think of anything that needs to be addressed at the very end that hasn't been mentioned already. I think the only thing I'd like to see at this point other than the Talk between Susan and Tebbitt, and the visit to Russell Hall, is to see all four Pevensies together again... more specifically how Peter and Edmund react to having Susan back and knowing all that took place in Washington during the summer.

Sometimes, outlines can be as simple as a few words or as complex as entire paragraphs. I don't think it matters much as long as it reminds me of the points you want to make. (I'm one to talk -- the only long stories I've written that I seriously enjoyed re-reading are the ones with very lengthy outlines in which the outline ends up being the initial draft of the scenes.)

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I really can't think of anything that needs to be addressed at the very end that hasn't been mentioned already. I think the only thing I'd like to see at this point other than the Talk between Susan and Tebbitt, and the visit to Russell Hall, is to see all four Pevensies together again... more specifically how Peter and Edmund react to having Susan back and knowing all that took place in Washington during the summer.
And THAT is all for Part 3. Russell Hall and everyone in it is so important and weird that all of 1 and 2 have been over a few short months and 3 shall be over a span of YEARS. I think I need a drink...

[amine-eyes.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! It's working for you! :D

Anyway ... I honestly can't think of much, apart from just tying up the points, and leaving a few to be solved in part 3 :D

So ... no help whatsoever xD

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks though!

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

I have no useful comments to make, because inside I'm little more than a crazy mass of cheering fangirl. But I will spare you that. Suffice to say that I am very much looking forward to the end, and also the beginning of Part 3!

And outlining... I know that everyone does it differently. You mentioned having many quotes and much dialogue and history, which is always great to work off of. have fun!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Awwww. Thanks. Well, onward and errr, downward, I guess. And once this is done, I owe reviews including one for your dark little awful nugget that I choked on over breakfast this morning. Evil. EVIL.

[varnafinde.livejournal.com]

My only advice is:
If everything won't fit into one final chapter, make it two final chapters.
And if you've got too much material for Part 3, make a Part 4 as well. ;)

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I'm soo close at this point. It may be 14,000 words and I've found that people really don't like chapters that long. It's hard to read them. But, I feel like such an idiot always writing that long.... Grrr. I don't know.