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Stephanie Alter Jones's avatar

Ya gotta start somewhere. The trick is to end somewhere ELSE (from both the plot and character points of view)

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Elayne Crain's avatar

True, though I personally don't mind a train that returns to its initial station, either! Like those little trains at amusement parks. 😂

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Bridgitte Rodguez's avatar

This is a super great analogy and totally works! I never think about all these things when I write my stories— though I’m now starting to realize that they are important and sometimes they do unfold on their own in the process of writing the story, but at other times, they don’t! And I actually need to think about these things!

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Elayne Crain's avatar

I find this fascinating and totally agree: sometimes the story idea has these things baked right in! (Those stories are certainly easier to write than my others--even if those ideas are the hardest ones for me to 'get'!) But, so often, I'm trying to go back and address these things as a I revise--and that's why things get so messy! 🥵

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