From: BrendaWriter@yahoo.com

On 9/6/2014 7:10 PM, Jymesion wrote:
> On Wed, 3 Sep 2014 02:08:23 -0700 (PDT), Nicky
>   wrote:
>
>> I mean I guess that is what a will is, but I am puzzled as to why finishing
a novel is important?
>
> I feel that, in and of itself, finishing a particular novel isn't
> particularly important (novels die mid-stream for a reason).
>
> But for a person who never finishes any novel, I believe that being
> prodded to finish one might be a healthy experience, just like any
> other writing experiment.
>
> The worst that might happen is they have one finished unpublishable
> novel instead of spending that time writing three or four unfinished,
> and therefore just as unpublishable, novels.


There is also the point that you cannot grip the complete work until you
finish it. Half a novel is like half a song, or half a painting, or half
a car. You need the whole thing to see if it hangs together, if it has a
theme, if it is built right, if the wheels turn and the engine kicks over.

Much of the craft of writing is actually rewriting -- crunching the
entire work and honing it, squeezing it, making it into what it ought to
be. You can't do that until you have the entire work.

Brenda

--
My latest novel SPEAK TO OUR DESIRES is available exclusively from Book
View Cafe.
http://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/Brenda-Clough/Novels/Speak
to-Our-Desires-Chapter-01

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
 * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)