Why Finishing a Book is Harder Than Starting One
Sample
Writing the Beginning and the End
Interestingly, the beginning and the end of the book were the easiest parts to write. In fact, I wrote both of them first.
The opening moves quickly through Pax and Sarah’s relationship and its tragic end. At the end of the book, the pacing slows as Pax reaches his reunion. There are lines in both sections that mirror each other—phrases that tie the story together, so the reader feels like they’ve returned to a familiar place.
Once those anchors existed, the real work began:
The journey between them.
I didn’t know exactly where Pax would start, what he would see along the way, or who he would meet. I knew he would travel through cities with strong music scenes, and that was about it.
So, I put him on the road and pointed him west.
In many ways, I was on a journey as random and poorly planned as Pax himself.