The Ending Writes Itself is such a fun read! So very meta! – authors inside the heads of authors inside the heads of authors – that really tickled me. The pacing was spot on, the plot believable, and the characters stayed in character when voicing the dialogue. The authors give the readers enough background on the characters that we care what happens to them – but not so much information, that we’re emotionally shattered at the end.
As a writer myself, I enjoyed the authors perspective on the publishing industry. Long ago, I submitted a manuscript to a literary agent – not actually expecting anything to come of it, but just thinking it would be interesting to experience that part of being a writer. To my surprise, the agent actually agreed to represent me! He was great and did everything he could to get my manuscript into the hands of publishers. But, in the end, I reread my work and realized I didn’t WANT it to be published – and told my agent he didn’t have to try anymore. I think my decision was a relief to both of us. I’ve since found self-publishing seems to work best for me – I keep control over what I write, and publish it when I’m ready to publish it. After reading The Ending Writes Itself I was reminded of how grateful I am for my autonomy as a writer.
When I came to the last page of TheEnding Writes Itself, I felt sated. The ending tied up the loose ends in a very satisfying way.
I recommend this book to all my friends – but especially to those of my friends who are writers. I think this book will resonate with you.
Karen Molenaar Terrell, author of The Madcap Christian Scientist series, the Adventures with Dad series, and the Cosmic Celebrations series.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a pair of red-haired women walking on the boardwalk and was struck by how much they looked alike. I asked them if they were family and learned that they were mother and daughter – Roxanne and Hallie. Hallie, I learned, had come from Denver to perform as one of the leads in the Pacific Northwest Opera‘s production of *Ariadne auf Naxos*, and Roxanne had driven up from Olympia to spend a few hours with her daughter before her performances began.
I shared with Roxanne and Hallie that my mom had earned her degree in music performance back in the 1950s. Mom had been accepted into the Portland Opera Company after she graduated from the University of Montana, but had chosen to marry my dad instead, and move with him to Colorado to start their life together. They’d soon moved back to the PNW, though – to Olympia, in fact – and that’s where I’d spent my first years.
We swapped stories about Olympia and music for a bit then – I shared that I’d met my husband at a wedding – he’d been the photographer and I’d been the wedding singer – but I’d never had the kind of musical training, skills, or discipline my mom had had.
Hallie told me more about *Ariadne auf Naxos*. *Ariadne auf Naxos* was a comedy, she told me – and, as she described the plot, I found myself laughing out loud. It sounded like a hoot! I told her that I was going to google more about it, and I might try to get tickets for it.
But then life happened, and two weeks went by, and I never purchased tickets, and it didn’t look like seeing the opera was something I was going to be doing.
But yesterday, as I was sitting on a bench with my son in Fairhaven, I saw a pretty copper-headed woman walk by with a young man, and I realized it was Hallie! I called out to her, and she turned and grinned – she recognized me, too! I gave Hallie a hug, and met Gyan – who is the pianist for the opera.
Hallie offered to set aside a ticket for me to today’s show – but I still wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it. When I got home, though, it felt like running into Hallie again had been too cosmic to ignore, and I immediately purchased two tickets for today’s show.
Scotty and I got there just before the curtain rose. As soon as Hallie stepped onto the stage, I think we both knew we were looking at a star.
During the intermission, I happened to run into Gyan. I wasn’t sure if I was going to see Hallie again, so I asked Gyan to let Hallie know that I had made it to the performance.
The second half of *Ariadne auf Naxos* was where the vocalists really had a chance to shine. And Hallie’s performance blew me away! She was spectacular – her vocal range was extraordinary; her role as a coquette had me laughing out loud; she had incredible stage presence. Hallie is a unique talent.
After the performance, I stayed around to see if Hallie would appear. I didn’t see her right away, but I got into conversation with two of the other opera singers and asked them to let Hallie know that Karen had made it to the show. As I was talking to them, they pointed to my left, and said, “There’s Hallie!”
I gave Hallie a hug, and I got to tell her, in person, how wonderful her performance was. Then Scott and I, star-struck fans that we are, made sure to get our picture with her.
Hallie Schmidt. Remember that name. This woman is going to be famous one day. And I got to see her at the beginning of her career!
Driving away from that world-class performance in beautiful McIntyre Hall, past the strip malls and Starbucks on College Way, and in twenty minutes back in our home in rural Skagit County, seemed sort of surreal to me.
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 