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The very last word of your book/series?

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Teraus Awesome Lightning Mantra from The Origin of Dreams Since: Jul, 2011
Awesome Lightning Mantra
#1: Sep 29th 2011 at 7:40:27 PM

I haven't finished my series yet, but I know which word will be the last: "Complete".

It's perfectly adequate for the situation (and it's supposed to be unbelievably, mind-bogglingly epic), but I might change it if it's overused. Is it overused?

edited 29th Sep '11 7:44:09 PM by Teraus

"You cannot judge a system if your judgement is determined by the system."
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#2: Sep 29th 2011 at 7:58:19 PM

Kind of a strange thing to focus on, isn't it?

I've never even thought of the idea that there are words that could be "overused" as last words of a work - unless one counts The End, which I wouldn't.

For the record, the last word of my comics (longest work I've ever finished), not counting The End, was "dead".

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#3: Sep 29th 2011 at 7:58:47 PM

Hmm, I don't really think about this much.

tell.

- Exile 1.0

Unless the last word happens to describe an important element in the story, like JKR's plan to end Harry Potter with "scar", I really don't think the last word is that significant.

Her plan to end with "scar", by the way, ultimately fell out. It was still part of the last sentence, I believe, but by the final edit the sentence had to change.

edited 29th Sep '11 8:00:47 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
alethiophile Shadowed Philosopher from Ëa Since: Nov, 2009
Shadowed Philosopher
#4: Sep 29th 2011 at 8:03:27 PM

Haven't nearly gotten there yet. tongue

Shinigan (Naruto fanfic)
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#5: Sep 29th 2011 at 8:09:56 PM

Let me check my 1st draft of Manifestation Files—

way.

.__.

I would post the full paragraph, but I don't want the criticism. I'm probably going to replace it with something more concrete.

jagillette Wimpy Mc Squishy from the middle of nowhere Since: Jul, 2011
#6: Sep 29th 2011 at 8:29:30 PM

I haven't really though about the last word, but I spend a lot of time thinking about the first words, both of separate works and of chapters within those works.

'Cross my heart, strike me dead, stick a lobster on my head.'
Leradny Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Sep 29th 2011 at 8:34:56 PM

What purpose does this serve? None of us are published, here. The last word/sentence/paragraph/page is going to change with every draft we write.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#8: Sep 29th 2011 at 10:34:29 PM

Indeed. As someone pointed out, even that whole "last word of Harry Potter" thing ended up not being the case.

My comics are actually completed, so at least in my case it's not a prediction, but even there I'm revising enough that it might wind up changing if I ever "publish" them in any way (most likely as a webcomic). And as for other works, I've never even considered what their last words might be.

jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#9: Sep 29th 2011 at 11:37:49 PM

In a long work, this may not be a prominent factor, but in short stories and anything with very tight writing, it's worth considering. The last word of each book of The Divine Comedy is "stars," for instance (to the bane of translators, who are forced into some awkward lines to maintain the rhyme). The last word of Candide is "garden."

edited 29th Sep '11 11:37:58 PM by jewelleddragon

jasonwill2 True art is Angsty from West Virginia Since: Mar, 2011
#10: Sep 30th 2011 at 3:02:41 AM

probably will be the name of the chapter or book; i like to do that when possible as my own kind of signature

Kind of a strange thing to focus on, isn't it?

Who knows? my tradition when reading fiction is to read the last sentence of the book FIRST. and then when i read the whole thing front to back it makes a kind of 'click moment' go off, and i can truly feel like the book was completed. best of all, in 98% of cases it doesnt spoil it for me, i think one long sentence did slightly to some minor detail, but i forgot it when i got up to there anyway.

as of the 2nd of Nov. has 6 weeks for a broken collar bone to heal and types 1 handed and slowly
MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#11: Sep 30th 2011 at 4:43:31 AM

The absolute last word of Book 1 of Endless Conflict: Yet.

The absolute last word of the entire series: equals.

Teraus Awesome Lightning Mantra from The Origin of Dreams Since: Jul, 2011
Awesome Lightning Mantra
#12: Sep 30th 2011 at 6:52:41 AM

[up]Does that have something to do with Not So Different?

Unless the last word happens to describe an important element in the story, like JKR's plan to end Harry Potter with "scar", I really don't think the last word is that significant.

Her plan to end with "scar", by the way, ultimately fell out. It was still part of the last sentence, I believe, but by the final edit the sentence had to change.

Yeah, I know that, too. I guess she had some influence in this aspect of my writing.

I know it's probably going to change, it's just something I like to think about. I find it strange that editors would try to change the last sentence I'm planning, considering I don't find anything wrong with it.

Edit: By the way, the very last words of my first and second books (it's a trilogy), respectively, are "definitely" and "effort".

edited 30th Sep '11 6:56:53 AM by Teraus

"You cannot judge a system if your judgement is determined by the system."
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#13: Sep 30th 2011 at 8:59:07 AM

No, I'm pretty sure she was the one who changed the sentence. Maybe trying to end with "scar" would be too awkward with the final piece at that stage.

I say "final edit" in the same way one says "final cut" of a film.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#14: Sep 30th 2011 at 10:43:31 AM

I don't know about series, but the last two words of my Always a Hero are "Worth It." The last word of Lit's Green Earth is "began," which is making me wonder if we have a trope yet for when endings are referred to as beginnings are vice versa.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
OuthouseInferno slice of lice from my ass Since: Nov, 2010
slice of lice
#15: Sep 30th 2011 at 3:05:35 PM

"fucked".

Forget the tropes until after you're done.
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#16: Sep 30th 2011 at 3:56:54 PM

[up] As in "we were..." or "and then we..."?

MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#17: Sep 30th 2011 at 5:22:03 PM

Does that have something to do with Not So Different?

You could say that...

The reality however is a tad different than that trope. The whole part at the end of the series is far too spoilerrific for me to ever reveal the barest of details until pretty much shortly before I put it down to text.

edited 30th Sep '11 5:23:10 PM by MajorTom

PancakeMckennz Rainbows hurt. from Michigan Since: Jul, 2011
Rainbows hurt.
#18: Sep 30th 2011 at 5:48:45 PM

"management" is the last word in Book one, but I'm pretty sure "Goddammit" is gonna be the last word in the whole series.

(屮≖益≖)屮 彡 ┻━┻ F*ck yo' table; Go read my book! —> http://goo.gl/mtXkm
PDown It's easy, mmkay? Since: Jan, 2012
It's easy, mmkay?
#19: Sep 30th 2011 at 6:26:28 PM

"nothing."

At first I didn't realize I needed all this stuff...
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#20: Oct 1st 2011 at 12:57:25 AM

asshole."

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Teraus Awesome Lightning Mantra from The Origin of Dreams Since: Jul, 2011
Awesome Lightning Mantra
#21: Oct 1st 2011 at 6:56:54 AM

Wow. Lots of happy stories.

"You cannot judge a system if your judgement is determined by the system."
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#22: Oct 1st 2011 at 7:22:08 AM

[up] Well, mine isn't negative. This is the full sentence:

"Oh right, team! We are going to have a big surprise party for that asshole."

edited 1st Oct '11 7:22:33 AM by dRoy

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Teraus Awesome Lightning Mantra from The Origin of Dreams Since: Jul, 2011
Awesome Lightning Mantra
#23: Oct 1st 2011 at 12:09:27 PM

[up] A betrayal or something?

"You cannot judge a system if your judgement is determined by the system."
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#24: Oct 1st 2011 at 12:16:43 PM

[up][up][up]There do seem to be a lot of these that sound somewhat grim. "Dead" in my case, at least, wasn't nearly as grim in context - It followed a long "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue to confirm that this time, the extremely hard-to-kill Big Bad was, indeed, Killed Off for Real.

chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#25: Oct 1st 2011 at 12:19:12 PM

Currently, the last word of my series is probably going to be "smile". Of course, that would change, but considering that it's in the first sentence...


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