I ranted about a cliff hanger today.
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To me, the end of a good story should have some form of resolution as a kind of release of emotional tension. My biggest pet peeve is characters that act in ways that are inconsistant with expected behaviors of people in similar positions in real life. In the “Starship Blackbeard” book, the actions of the senior officers seemed highly unlikely for someone in those positions. I believe verisimilitude was sacrificed for plot. I have tried and failed to finish books in which characters in high positions, with great responsibility, acted in a childish manner that didn’t advance the plot.
Not a bad set of comments regarding cliffhangers. I think it somehow seems to often revolve around the professionalism of the particular writer of whether the cliffhanger can be carried off in a manner that is smooth and still carries the flow of the story onto the next installment.
I’ll use your own writing as a brief example to represent my own case in point, if I may. Essentially each Ishmael Solar Clipper story can be a stand-a-lone read and enjoyed in its entirety. And instead of spelling out and repeating word-for-word from he previous book for half the new book to catch the story line up for new readers, you handle the telling in such a way that there are questions that are unobtrusive and explained out and answered as though the storyline was essentially fresh
Ishmael’s mothers’ flitter crash has been mentioned a number of times throughout the Solar Clipper series but the telling was in its proper spot and recall to his memory of her each time and for the right reason; and it wasn’t just the same tired old dry wording of of repeating just to fill the gap and build word numbers.
I’m sure not to have explained what I’m saying very well, but I hope it’s true meaning comes through.
Have a good Labor Day, Nathan and family.
The new gate is cool, you can move it with just your fingers now huh? Great job. I was beginning to see you every morning having to remember t carry a crowbar over your shoulder to get in and out. 😉
Funny I a am reading the same two series that you are. Thanks for the warning about the cliffhanger. But in the Rookie series the second book looks like a full book to me although I haven’t started it yet 🙂
One of the series that I am enjoying is Leeland Artra’s THREAD books. He is a slow writer but finally just came out with #3. I like them. You think you know the world you’re in and then it changes. What fun!