Ah, the final chapter. Just a little bit of tidying up to do, a little bit of exposition (a little bit), and then a satisfying-but-sequel-implying level of conclusion.
That last part can be a bit tricky. I don’t like cliffhangers and refuse to write them as a matter of course. It’s silly, but it’s sort of the same reason I don’t write dark sci-fi or fantasy where the bad guys win (or the good guys turn out to actually be bad guys). It’s not the kind of fiction I enjoy reading, and it’s not the type I enjoy writing.
But I still want the conclusion to be good enough to stand on its own, and I want to be able to return to the universe. Which, coincidentally, I think I’m going to be doing in my next work… I’m a big fan of the Caitlyn Morcos book I wrote and the universe I built around her, and I’m excited to go back and see what she’s been up to! That won’t be the next immediate thing I’m working on, but it will be the next novel, I think.
That’s the plan, at least. But I have to finish this one first… and honestly? It’s close enough to taste. Until I start editing… it is going to be a lot of edits to make this one a satisfying story. The bones are good, but everything else is gonna need work. But that’s part of why I love writing! Because when I finish polishing this up, I think you’re all going to love it!
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!