Welcome summer! I live in Georgia in the United States, and we’ve been dealing with some massive heat. But I have to say I don’t mind it. I guess I’ve gotten used to the hot weather over the years, and with our son moving to Puerto Rico, well, the heat is just a part of our lives. Here’s a sweet sunset picture.
By the time you’re reading this post I will have just come back from a trip to Puerto Rico to see our son, his wife, and celebrate their baby’s 1st birthday. And as you saw from above, the sunsets there are beautiful.
But so are sunrises, right?
This is a Florida sunrise. Both are beautiful creations of God! One is the start of a day God has in mind for us, and the other ends a day that God saw us through. These scenarios mirror our stories in a lot of ways. We start our stories with a lot of promise, and they end with a happy romantic ending. (At least my romances do!)
Some beginnings are rocky. I mean from a reader’s standpoint. I know I’ve picked up a book sometimes where it’s like, what? Either I’m a confused or not following. I read one recently like that, but it came through amazingly, and I ended up reading the book quickly. As a writer, I find the beginnings and endings the easier to write. It’s always trying to keep the reader’s interest through the middle of the story that bogs me down while writing. The middle has to be interesting, and moving along with plot and emotions to keep the reader turning the pages.
I know I’ve asked on here before, but how many of you read the ending of the book first? Or toward the beginning when you learn the characters? I never do that! It drives me crazy to do that. Even if it’s not a romance, and I really have no idea how it’s ending, I will not read the ending before the ending. I find it hard writing the ending of the book before I’ve gotten there as well.
So, here’s my questions for this post. What intrigues you about a book beginning? What bothers you about a book ending? And please, confess if you’re an end of the book reader!
USA Today featured author Lindi Peterson lives in north Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and a lively array of cats, dogs and birds. She loves sharing life with her family and friends. Her passion for reading led her to writing, and then God spoke words of love into her heart and changed her life forever.
A book beginning is all new and fresh. Full of anticipation.
A rushed book ending annoys me. I like the story to unfold, not forced to a conclusion.
I love sunrises and sunsets, simply stunning! I confess if I’m really struggling to engage with a book then I flip forward a few chapters to see if it improves and then if not read the ending. I find the most challenging part to read the beginning. I understand about establishing the books world though wish it could happen more quickly so the story can proceed. Interesting your comment about the middle, not something I’ve encountered. I enjoy plausible endings, unless the ending is a characters hope/dream. Thanks
Hi from Michigan Lindi! This week we have had cooler weather. Only in the 60s in the morning. My mermaid granddaughter shivered at her half birthday party at a splash pad on Monday. This reader enjoys an attention getting, page turning beginning and a believable not rushed – no cliff hanging ending to a story. If a story has my attention, I like to read a book in one sitting. That is why I usually prefer novellas or shorter stories. As my old eyes get tired, if I am making predications and can’t finish the book because it is two in the morning – THEN I may read the last two chapters so I can get my beauty sleep and rest my peepers. LOL. Stay cool and best wishes.
I never read the ending first. I hate a rushed ending as I want it to unfold.
I don’t usually read the end first now, but I used to that all of the time!! I also used to read the beginning, then the ending, then go to the middle. Now, I read straight through! Unless I can’t get into the book, then I skip ahead to see if it gets better, then I go the end to see if I should read the middle. Since I now proofread, I can’t skip around!!
I’ve never even thought of skipping to the last chapter if the first chapter or two hasn’t caught my attention! Although I almost always read the sample, or part of it, from a new-to-me author before buying a book, or even downloading a freebie. So the author really does have to catch me in the first few pages or I’ve moved on. The book’s ending isn’t there for me to “cheat” with!
As a writer, I struggle more with the middle, too. I always hit a wall within a small percentage-point window, no matter how much fun I’ve been having up until then! The wall doesn’t always offer the same amount of difficulty to get over/ around/ through, though. I’m there (again) with my current manuscript. Should be comfy there by now…
The only thing is anchroisms that can pull me out of the story.
Mary, I totally agree about rushed endings. :)
Dianne, Thanks for your insights. The beginning sets the tone in so many ways, so if that’s off, well, I need reeling in for sure.
welcome today. congrats on your grandbaby. nope never read the ending until I get to the end. I love it when a book captures me within the first page. I find it difficult to continue reading when it drags at the beginning.
Renate–love the mermaid nods….:) Don’t you love when a book really captures your attention? I do love reading short stories as well.
Trudy–You’ve come a long way stopping reading that ending. I love it! And yay for you proofreading. What an important job and step in the process of writing a book.
Val—good point about the sample. I’m not sure we’ll ever get comfy in the middle. My favorite question to ask myself when I’m stuck is, “How can I make his/her life more miserable right now. :)
I hate it when things pull me out of a story.
Lori,
Thank you! Those first page grabbers are the best!
Hi, no, I never read the ending of a book first. I love it when books have a great start, the first sentence of a book reels me in! I don’t really care for books if they don’t have a good ending, where I actually don’t know what happened just like some movies. I do love book series, if a book ends in a way where there is another book to come, now that makes me happy. Have a great day and a great rest of the week.
Cliffhangers at the end…..ugh! And if a story doesn’t grab me by the end of the first chapter, I move on to a different book. I have way too many books to waste time on ones that I can’t get into. Also, if the author introduces way too many characters right from the start, it confuses me and I most likely will not connect with them.
I never read the last page of the book before I finish it because I like to be surprised :-)
I am not a fan of cliff hangers. It is so hard to wait for the next book. I do not read the end of the book until the end. I get pulled in by the characters as well as plot being formed. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
What beautiful photos! can i use them? I usually put Bible verses in my Whatsapp statuses, many non-Christian university classmates see them, so I leave them some of the word. I would like to use the background images to write some of them.
hate cliffhangers
I am really late. I admit occasionally I read the end. Not all the times but occasionally. Especially if the book is slow.
I don’t like cliffhangers when the next book isn’t released for 12 months. I don’t like books that feel like they end in the middle of a chapter and then the next book starts where the other left off with no explanation. (this happened recently picked up book 3 starts with wedding and took to chapter 3 to get to the new hero and heroine and even then I had no idea what it was about so I DNF)
I hope you had a safe trip home.