Comments on: The Big Rush, or What I Learned from Sending a Story Out Too Soon

By: Amy Herlihy

Amy Herlihy — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 03:01:25 +0000

Well said, Julie! We met at Backspace this year and these are wise words for an aspiring novelist like me!

By: Julie Wu

Julie Wu — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:53:17 +0000

Thanks so much, Dell! I made a mistake with this story in that I tried to make the ending a surprise, but I did not quite understand that the best surprise endings don’t just surprise–they also illuminate the story and make you think, “of course.”

Thanks for commenting!

By: Dell Smith

Dell Smith — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:12:38 +0000

Great post, Julie. I’m never sure when my stories are ready (finished, done) but you give some wonderful insight into the process. How a story’s ending starts at the beginning of the story. I never really thought of it that way before, but it makes absolute sense–You train the reader how to read your story, and you have to include an ending that allows the setup (the beginning) to follow through to a logical conclusion.

By: Julie Wu

Julie Wu — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:56:22 +0000

Thanks, Denise! I’m so grateful for your comment. I know exactly what you mean. It’s a different journey for everyone and not every novelist wants to debut at 46, as I will next year. There is of course a balance between too much and too little revision!

By: Julie Wu

Julie Wu — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:52:13 +0000

Thanks so very much, Annie! You’re right. I’m sure every writer has to get over the same hurdle. It’s so hard to have perspective on your own work and realize you need to really revise down deep.