I wish to write something people would enjoy (Patreon)

I've always known that my subconscious knew where the story was going. It was back there, ticking, in the back of my head the whole time, since I sat down and posted about P'Thok, Born Whole, and the other chapters.

Last weekend, it all clicked. Where it was going, what had to happen, where things were at, and how I needed to get there.

I've always believed that the author should ensure that the payoff for the audience should be gratifying, built up to, foreshadowed, and be the author pulling out all the stops and giving the fans and the story the best effort they possibly can.

I don't mention other media much, other works, but in recent years it's really felt like other creators have forgotten that the payoff is just as important as your characters, as your world building, as your setting and the story to get to the payoff. Too many movies the payoff has felt flat, forced, or hollow.

Like watching a zombie movie where the payoff is the zombies all fall down dead and everyone lives happily ever after, or a sci-fi movie about exploration that suddenly ends with a payoff of finding themselves back on Earth with nothing discovered and nothing gained but the personal introspection of the characters.

Thanks. I hate it.

One other thing that has bothered me, more than a little, over the past few decades is so many people set aside the story for 'teaching a lesson' or 'educating the audience' and ending up lecturing and sermonizing rather than delivering what was promised. The worst part, is how blatant, lazy, pandering, and preaching to the choir so many of those are.

It should be obvious that I avoid any modern political thought or events. It shouldn't matter 8,000 years in the future and I'm not here to give you a lecture about whatever we disagree on. You want me to tell you a fun and gripping story, not pontificate about my personal beliefs on the politics of bee keeping in Uganda or whatever the hell everyone's pet thing is now.

An agreement I've always tried to keep is "I'll tell you a story, you enjoy it, and I'll shut the hell up about my personal beliefs and politics as much as possible."

Which bleeds back into my talk on endings.

For a while, dramatic, suspense or tension filled endings, full of excitement with a nice payoff, were considered outdated and stupid.

I hated that period of time in literature.

The ending that perked up, well, it's a monster. It's going to take a LOT to write. It's definitely a long shot. The buildup my brain has been throwing out is all necessary to the Final Act, the Climax. Parts of the Conclusion (the Hobbits returning to the Shire) have gelled together.

And to think, I just wanted to write a neat story.

And out poured this. All of this.

We've still got quite a way before we reached the Climax, which will consist of a LOT of interlocked and moving parts. Once it starts being revealed, we'll all look at it and quote Bo'okdu'ust.

"It was so obvious in hindsight."

Anyway, I'll probably do another post this weekend.

See you tomorrow on Reddit.

And be good to one another.