Booking Through Thursdays — Beginning or the End

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

Interesting question.

I do love the beginning of a book, that moment of anticipation when you have that wide span of pages before you and so much unlimited possibility.  But there’s also something about a good, satisfying ending once you’ve been on the journey.   With some books, I can’t wait to start and get back into the world or universe within the pages of the book.  There’s such an unlimited sense of possibility at that moment.  That plus that new book smell (assuming it’s a new book).  Seriously, they should make a scented candle version of that.  (Yankee Candle…get on it!)

One thing I will say is that when it comes to a series, I hope that the author has an end point in mind before the journey begins.   And a plan to release them.  I know a lot of fantasy fans who are frustrated with George R.R. Martin because of his long period between releases of installments of “A Song of Fire and Ice”  And while I’d like to see the author spend time crafting the book and making it worth the time instead of just dumping something out there to sell some books, I can also sense the frustration they feel at not knowing if there will be an end point or if the author will reach it within his or her lifetime.  It’s why I’m glad Stephen King finally realized that he should finish up the Dark Tower series while he could instead of potentially leaving it unfinished.   Same reason I haven’t started the Wheel of Time books…that and being about a billion pages behind.

I think I’ve wandered just a bit off topic here….