You’re probably scoffing at the dramatic
title, but it’s not really as dramatic as it sounds. My journey into darkness,
where unhappy endings are born, began in February of this year and culminated
in June when I wrote the darkest ending I have ever written (and possibly ever
read).
The idea for the No Shelter Trilogy came to me shortly
after finishing book two in my sci-fi/fantasy series for children. No Shelter was initially going to be a stand-alone
novel about four teenagers attempting to survive in post-apocalyptic America. Within
the first few pages of writing, it was clear I was writing a tragic
post-apocalyptic love story.
After writing the ending, I wandered around
the house for days in a dark fog, unable to focus on much of anything because
of what I had done to these fictional characters. I had never been so upset
with myself as a writer. I frantically consulted my beta readers and my family
and friends, attempting to find some way out of this ending. I stared at the
walls, listened to the music on my headphones much to loudly, and tapped my
foot as all day long with anxiety. It couldn’t end this way.
In the end, I learned one very important
thing about writing unhappy endings: You must stay true
to the characters.
An ending that is true to the characters will
not be universally liked by your readers. Readers don’t all feel the same way
about your characters. I learned quickly after book three was published that
readers who hated “Character A” loved the ending and readers who liked
“Character A” hated the ending. “Character A’s” fans took “Character A’s”
betrayal personally. Of course, in the end, a reader with a strong reaction is
a reader who paid attention. As an author, you can’t ask for much more than
that.
Will I ever venture into the land of
unhappy endings again? With my new knowledge, I’m certain I will. I found that,
even though it’s a painful place to roam for long periods of time, the darkness
is something many readers identify with and appreciate.
AUTHOR BIO: T.S. Welti was born and raised
in Southern California, but she is currently living in Portugal while finishing
up a few writing projects. T.S. writes mostly science fiction, fantasy, and
romance for readers ages 13 and up. In her spare time she loves spending time
with friends and family; consuming mounds of books and chocolate; obsessing
over music and lyrics; pretending to be a celebrity chef; and reveling in the
sweetness of being alive. She is incredibly humbled that she gets to do what
she loves every day and she thanks all her readers for supporting her
debilitating writing addiction.
You can find out more about T.S. Welti and
her books at http://tswelti.com.
BOOK LINKS:
Parallel
Spirits (New Release)
MY LINKS:
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