The Complicated Story Ending

The ending of your story should be just as engaging as the beginning hook. It should be emotionally satisfying, and tie up most if not all loose ends. If the book is part of a series, it still needs to stand on its own, and answer all major story questions.

Sound familiar?

These are the (unofficial) rules about story endings that all writers know or should know. We follow these rules to ensure a great ending to our story in the hopes that readers will stick around for the next book in the series, come back to read our next standalone title, or even pick up one of our backlisted ones.

Why Endings are Important.

The end of any book is important. The end is the last impression the reader has of our stories. It's the part of the story that is the freshest in their mind and which they rate and judge the book as a whole. A great ending is hard to write but necessary to attempt.

Although I know what makes a great ending I still struggle to execute it at times. I obsess over it, trying to perfect it.

Makings of a Great Story Ending:

• Twists and surprise endings: Surprising the reader with a revelation that was foreshadowed throughout the story. i.e. It was right under their noses the whole time.
• Theme: Tying in the overall theme or message of the book into the ending to add extra significance.
• Answer the major story question: Will they fall in love? Will they find the murderer? Will they ever learn to trust one another?
• Character change and growth: The main characters must begin the story a certain person and by the end of the story the character is a changed man or woman. The events in the story, the obstacles, the triumphs and failures all mold the character into a different person by the end.
• End at the end: Once the major story questions are answered and the character achieves the story goal then the story is over. Ending the story before questions are answered and characters change or long after can disappoint the reader.

Currently I attempt to rewrite the ending of my latest WIP and hope it all falls into place. Knowing how to write the perfect ending to your story doesn't make it any less complicated, in my opinion. However, my motto is: If it's too easy, you ain't doing it right.

What I've Learned that May Help You and Your Writing



Over the past few months I've been soaking in a lot of creative writing information as part of building and improving my writing skills. I recently challenged myself to write the best book I've ever written, and to attempt that personal feat required many hours of reading, analyzing, researching and (of course) writing.

I've had some epiphanies during the course of writing my post-apocalyptic novel (Before the Darkness) that I would like to share. These are things that I already knew about creative writing (I'm an author. Of course, I knew :/) but only really understood when reading these books or blogs.

What I've learned

Source

Metaphors and allegories can help strengthen a story and provide an engaging writing/reading experience. Major plot twists or twist ending should tie into the overall mood and/or theme of the story for a greater emotional impact.	The sci-fi novella Wool by Hugh Howey
Incorporating universal human emotion into every facet of your writing builds strong characterization and helps the reader relate to the characters, conflicts and particular circumstances.	The erotic romance novel Destiny for Three by Lilly Hale
All reviews, be they positive or negative, ranting or raving, short or long, are still beneficial to the author. A reader may show interest in the very thing another reader finds unappealing in a book. It's all subjective. At least the book provoked some kind of emotional response to push readers into discussing it.	Readers' comments about Ranting authors over negative reviews from book reviewers
To easily find areas in your book that are telling instead of showing search for the word WAS. Using was in a sentence usually indicates the lack of effectively describing something or someone in your writing.	Noble Romance Blog
Write what you love and the rest will come to you. Instead of focusing on getting to the end of your story, make small goals and complete those first. It's never too early to start talking about your work.	From various creative writing books, blogs and magazines:

These are just of few of the things I've grown to really understand over the past few months just by reading books, blogs, readers' comments on blogs and magazine. Have you had an epiphany lately?

Benefits of Sharing now on All Romance eBooks!

Order my latest erotic romance, Benefits of Sharing, on ARe!

Benefits of Sharing

By: Leslie Lee Sanders | Other books by Leslie Lee Sanders
Published By: Breathless Press
Published: Aug 12, 2011
ISBN # 9781771010030

Word Count: 6,783
Heat Index: 5 flames

Price: $1.99 $1.49Available in: Adobe Acrobat, Palm DOC/iSolo, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket (.prc), Rocket, Epub, Mobipocket (.mobi)

BUY NOW

Multiple partners, menage, mmf, gay, threesome, contemporary.


Blurb:

Cara is unenthusiastic about her upcoming thirtieth birthday. Maybe her husband's eighteen-year-old coworker Isaac could add some excitement.

Cara Matthews is about to turn thirty, and for her, it’s the death of her youth and the beginning of the dull years. Her husband, James, is aware of her sudden grief and surprises her with something that should take her mind off of aging: young Isaac.

Maybe Isaac can help Cara create her very own wild and crazy experience to share—in more ways than one—and help her transition smoothly from her twenties to her thirties.

Cara is all too eager to finally experience the excitement she's been desperately craving, but she's also a little skeptical. Exactly who is Isaac, and why is he so eager to please?




Excerpt:

"Hi," she greeted the delivery guy.

"Hello," he said with such a deep voice, she did a double take just to be sure the sound came from the tall young man standing before her. He smiled. "Cara Matthews? These are for you."

"Thank you." Her husband was definitely the best. Already his gift had cheered her up.

The delivery guy handed her the dark purple irises in their clear glass vase. They were her favorite color and flower. "There's a note in the middle for you." He beamed.

"Oh, I already know who they're from." She smiled again, said "thank you," closed the door, and turned to go back inside. Once in the kitchen, she set the flowers down on the center of the table and smelled a few of them. A fresh, sweet floral scent filled her nostrils. Perfect. She grabbed her cocoa and quickly drank the rest of it before washing the mug and putting it back in the cabinet. Then she sat down at the kitchen table before her leather-bound diary. She glanced at the flowers and the little white note that stuck up from the purple petals. She carefully plucked it out and read it.

We talked about the benefits of "sharing," and I think it's the perfect time to do just that. You deserve a special gift for a special day, and he's outside waiting for you. Now invite Isaac in, and be sure to thoroughly thank him. Happy birthday!

Love, James.

Cara read and reread James's message. Was she reading it clearly? They had talked about what fun it would be to invite someone into their bed for a threesome. They even laughed at how it could further strengthen their marriage, but she had thought the entire conversation was just a joke, a way of entertaining themselves. She turned the card over, expecting to read, Gotcha! I cheered you up, didn't I? But no such words were there. It was blank.

Isaac?

Was James serious?

Cara immediately went back to the front door and looked through the peephole again. There he was, the delivery guy, pacing back and forth on the porch.

"This must be a joke," she mumbled and cracked the door opened. She peeked through the slit. "Isaac?"

He grinned and stared at her with light brown eyes. "You gonna invite me in?"

"Who are you?" she asked, frowning, unsure.

"I'm Isaac. James sent me."

"For what?" Cara glared, waiting for him to confirm what was written on the note.

He laughed uneasily and whispered, "To help you feel better," then winked.

Although she was a bit hesitant, Isaac looked harmless and even a little tense. She opened the door wider to get a better look at the guy.

Pre-order Benefits of Sharing Today!

Currently, I am at 12,500 words in my latest WIP, Before the Darkness. The way the story is going I expect to finish it somewhere around 20k-30k words, although it can be longer. I can't seem to find the time to work on it as much as I want to. I hope this weekend I can write a big chunk of it because I want to finish it before the end of the year.

The elevator pitch:

After an asteroid strikes Earth, sending a wall of ash and other debris into the atmosphere, Elliot meets fellow survivor Adam and together they take advantage of the next few hours, learning to appreciate their second chance at life and live it to the fullest.

The problem:

The research.  Asteroids are tricky to write about, especially an asteroid impact with Earth. Even though the story focuses more on the inner conflict of the main characters, the impact is what sets the story in motion and contributes to the story's tension, adding suspense, raising the stakes and providing exterior conflict. Therefore, it's very important that the impact and the effects of impact are realistic.

I hope to finish the first draft before the end of the year. Hell, some writers can do it in thirty days. That would be nice!

New Cover Art: Benefits of Sharing

I just received the cover art to my erotic romance, Benefits of Sharing, due August 12th from Breathless Press! I'm so excited!


Here's the blurb:

Cara Matthews is about to turn thirty and for her it’s the death of her youth and the beginning of the dull years. Her husband James is aware of her sudden grief and surprises her with something that should take her mind off of aging…young Isaac.

Maybe Isaac could help Cara create her very own wild and crazy experience to share…in more ways than one. And therefore help her transition smoothly from her twenties to her thirties.

Cara is all too eager to finally experience the excitement she's been desperately craving but she's also a little skeptical. Exactly who is Isaac and why is he so eager to please?

10

Impersonating Sam 1 of 12 Terrific Indie Titles for under $1 at ARe!

You don't get much for $1 anymore, but you do at All Romance eBooks! ARe highlighted my book IMPERSONATING SAM as 1 of 12 Terrific Indie Titles for under $1! Follow the link and download it now to read it instantly.

 

 

Impersonating Sam

Series: Seven Sins Series , Book 1
By: Leslie Lee Sanders | Other books by Leslie Lee Sanders
Published: Jun 02, 2011
ISBN # LLSBKS000004

Word Count: 16,000

Heat Index: 4 flames

Blurb: Sunni Mitchell is angry and rightfully so. Her boyfriend abruptly decided to leave her… for another man. While trying to overcome her pain and anger, she struggles to understand her best friend Joseph’s sexual relationship with his lover Ben.

Knowing her romantic feelings for Joseph, he and Ben suggest they all share a passionate night of lovemaking to help heal Sunni’s broken heart. She is hesitant for many reasons but thoughts of being enveloped in Joseph’s arms mercilessly nags at her.

Then she stumbles upon Joseph’s erotic novel and it helps her realize the opportunity she could miss. With help from the novel’s sexy vixen Samantha aka “Sam,” Sunni soon realizes that being someone else might give her the emotional strength she’s been lacking. By taking on another’s persona, could she finally get over her losses, diminish her anger and have her very own happily ever after in love?

10

Connecting the Shorts

I wanted to talk a little about my popular Happy Holiday shorts. Since their release, they have been selling very well and I want to take this moment to thank my readers for their support. (As you already know, I wrote the shorts for you guys to show reader appreciation over the holidays.)

There are a total of three short stories in the series that can be read and enjoyed on their own but are much more fun when you read them all. Yes, you can read the stories in any order. Although I did write Three-way Kisses first, Kiss and a Handshake second and All About a Kiss third.

What makes these stories fun to read together is that they are connected. What connects them?

• They take place on the same night, Christmas Eve.
• They take place at the same party, the Happy Holiday festival held by the law firm Stephens and Steven's.
• Each main character of each individual story hears the same conversation that presents the opportunity to crash the infamous kissing party where the first person you kiss, or who kisses you, is the person you must spend the rest of the night with.
• In each story you get a different character's point of view of both parties and you even get brief cameos of the characters in the other two stories. Otherwise the stories are totally different.

Three-way Kisses focuses on Kyla and Mike as they are introduced to Bret at the kissing party. It is an MMF ménage erotic romance with a nice little surprise embedded in there. It's more of a romance than the other two since Kyla and Mike have an established, loving relationship.

The others have little twists in them too.

Kiss and a Handshake focuses on Alex as he can't seem to get Zak off of his mind. It is an M/M themed erotic short with a rather fun and witty vibe to the storytelling. Even the title has a "funny" explanation.

All about a kiss is more of an M/F erotic story with themes consisting of interracial, public sex and light bondage. It focuses on Jasmine and her kiss with the Wrangler.

I had a fun experience writing these stories. I hope you have just as much fun reading them. Read one or read them all. There's enough variety for everyone.

Get them all today at All Romance eBooks, Barnes and Noble and Amazon for $0.99!

Leslie Lee Sanders

Breathless Press Offers Contract!

After an R&R, nonstop days of revising and what felt like a serious attempt to prove myself, (and turning into somewhat of a perfectionist during the process) Breathless Press has accepted my erotic romance, Benefits of Sharing!


Benefits of Sharing is a short erotic romance with an MMF menage theme. The story focuses on Cara who is having a difficult time turning thirty because of her sense of lost youth. Her husband attempts to cheer her up and restore her lost youth by introducing her to young Isaac.

I am so excited to become a part of the Breathless Press family and I look forward to working with my editor to further polish my story.

This is great news!

Leslie Lee Sanders

Judy Mays: Erotic Romance Writer Outed

(Excerpt from Barbara Vey -- May 5th, 2011 link below)

Last week the earth shattering news hit that high school teacher Judy Buranich writes erotica as Judy Mays. Horrors!! An English teacher who writes. It’s almost embarrassing to read the news accounts of the outing. A parent came forward because she felt erotica “is unethical, totally unacceptable. Period. It just sort of sickens and saddens me to know everybody’s sort of looking at this like, hey, this is OK.” I hate to break it to you parent, but erotic is ok. It’s not illegal. Lots of people obviously like it because there’s definitely a market for it. We even do book blurbs on them here. So I contacted author Judy Mays and asked for her side of the story.

Read the rest HERE!

Behind the Story: Three-way Kisses by Leslie Lee Sanders

The idea to write Three-way Kisses came to me during the holidays. I wanted a sweet ménage for my readers, something to say thank you for your interest in my writing. I wanted the character to be relatable and the situation or issue to be believable. Therefore the premise of girl desires sexy fun and boyfriend vowing to stop at nothing to allow her that sexy fun came to life.

Available as a Kindle & Nook read



We all have or wish to have that one person in our lives that would do anything to make us and keep us happy. Mike is that person for Kyla.



The story, characters and hot sex must work for the reader because Three-way Kisses has sold hundreds of copies since its debut in November 2010 to this date. It is my top selling read since its release.



I kept my readers in mind while writing Three-way Kisses and I dedicate the complete 3 book Happy Holiday Series to them. Knowing that there are readers out there who appreciate my voice, my writing and my hard work is what keeps me writing.



Favorite character?



My favorite character from Three-way Kisses has got to be the mysterious Bret. I think he’s super sexy enough for both men and women to give in to his advances. He’s so good that he can plant a sexy idea in your head and make you think it was your desire speaking to you.



Favorite quote?



“Don’t ever think you’ve broken us. There’s nothing you can do to keep me from loving you, remember that.” He planted a kiss on the corner of her lips and smiled.



Leslie Lee Sanders

Why Books Aren't Free & Writing is Hard Work

An imaginative, inventive person like me has an urge to see their imagination come to life. We spend many hours in solitude—total isolation—creating and birthing our ideas. The message behind our work is what motivates us. We’re eager to expose our creation to the world and to relay our messages through our art. This is what we live for.


And if we simply give away that which we put so much of our time and effort into ... we wouldn’t be financially able to support ourselves. Writing is work, hard work. And just like your job, you want compensation for your time and effort.


Writing is work but it’s also my art. It’s my imagination come to life. Without it I wouldn’t be able to express my views, my opinions, my likes and dislikes—myself. Writing is how I connect to the world and how I declare myself an individual. I feel what my characters feel—happiness, heartbreak, embarrassment, betrayal—and I get butterflies knowing that readers feel those same emotions when connecting with my characters. Along with my characters, I fall in love, I’m heated with hate, and I feel the thrill of doing something forbidden and so much more.


My writing helps me feel alive. More than alive.


But writing would be impossible to accomplish without the support of my readers. And as much as I enjoy sharing my creations with others, I equally understand that writing is a business. This is why books, even digital books, aren’t free. It’s hard work. Not many people understand this, IT’S HARD WORK. Writing as a profession is more difficult than the average hobbyist or dabbler would ever know.


What makes writing so hard?

• You must be enthusiastic to start a writing project.

• You must be driven to write every single day for hours at a time.

• You must be determined to actually finish your writing.

• You must plan, outline, and take notes. You must figure out what questions to ask, ask the questions, and then research the answers.

• You must set a goal and push yourself to accomplish that goal.

• You must read every day. Only great readers become great writers.

• You must challenge yourself. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

• You must hone your skills and develop your craft. You can never stop learning.

• You cannot be afraid to fail. You will be rejected, you will get negative feedback but you must have the confidence to learn from it, keep writing and keep moving forward.

• You have to have the strength to ignore self-doubts about yourself and your work.

• You must plot, plan, rewrite, and edit. Check spelling, grammar, characterization, plot, point of view, tenses, transitions, believability, dialogue, description, etc. You must write the blurb, write the full synopsis, write the query to send to the editor and plot, plan, rewrite and edit those as well.

• You must learn the skills to present your writing professionally and sell it along with your voice to editors and agents. Know your competition and your target audience, etc.

• You must market and promote, manage websites and social networking sites, blog and article write, leave comments and respond to comments, design (or get designed) promotional material; banners, bookmarks, website ads and book covers and book trailers. You must request reviews, interviews and guest blogs. And sooo much more.

So knowing this, I hope you understand why books aren’t free and why authors appreciate their readers’ support.


Appreciate the books you own and the writers who write them. Never share or upload digital books online. And out of courtesy, never ask an author for a free copy. If you do get a free copy cherish it because a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into making that book available to you.



Leslie Lee Sanders

Latest Releases

Here are a couple of my latest releases from Xcite Books!

Threesome: When One Lover is Not Enough.

Twenty short stories by various authors with the theme of menage. Featuring the story The Favour by Leslie Lee Sanders.

Pre-order the paperback on Amazon here.

Kindle edition here.

The Favour edited by Miranda Forbes. Featuring the story The Favour by Leslie Lee Sanders.

A collection of 5 mixed erotic stories with a central themes of threesomes.
The Favour blurb:

Jenna Madison is determined to keep her marriage full of spice. Convinced her husband is unhappy with their sex life, she searches for her husband’s high school buddy with hopes of restoring a little more than their friendship. Maybe the amazing Brandon Stone would do her a favour and provide the couple with the perfect amount of spice needed to save their marriage.

Kindle edition here.