IWSG: Beginnings and Endings . . .

First an update. November was fun. Yep. I wrote every day, just a little over 10K words on one of my current projects, Honeymoon in Egypt, an art crimes mystery now at 32K, and met my goal for National Novel Writing Month. It was especially rewarding to simply draft, relish the details, develop the story, and not worry about editing. However, December begins with renewed focus on my other wip, Unleashed Pursuit, currently at 62K. Those generous beta readers came through with with serious editing challenges that will require me to drill down into conflict and find new ways to build tension. OK, I'm intimidated.

This month, IWSG's challenge question asks: Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or as a reader?

At least, this question is easy. Depends. Most of the time, I do like writing HEA. Don't we need that some of the time? Just because my characters wind up happy, we all know real life will present us with challenges, and not all of them end well. But why not let that challenge emerge in the next story, as in the beginning? When I'm reading, does the story satisfy on all levels? Ending with a cliffhanger often reads like a carrot, as if the writer were saying, "Come on, read the next story!" But if I really care about the characters or the story, cliffhangers don't bother me!

Now, I'd like to go see what others have written.  Hmmm. Is that a cliffhanger?

Other challenges. You already know that quilting is a balance to my writing. So, this month, I'm back working on the design for an Australian quilt. All of the patterns I've found are geometric, so that's where I started. 

But . . . aboriginal art is about a journey, whether real or internal. I'm playing around with combining the geometric with some kind of a circular design. Let me know what you think!

Circling within, so internal, but not a journey?

Perhaps an unplanned journey, not a map?

And December is my birthday month. This year, I'll be 81. That's pretty much an achievement in itself, but I wonder: How many books/quilts/time with family do I have left? For now, I hope to cherish each day and persevere! And thank YOU for being part of my writing life.

NOTE: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) day, an informal blog gathering of writers who share updates and encourage each other.

Why not join in? Check out the IWSG website to read what 97 other writers are up to. Leave a few comments. Share what's going on with your writing life on your blog. Special thanks go to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts for encouraging us all: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

May the coming month be a good one for us all.