Circles

I love a good circle in writing.

By that I mean having a story start in one place, then let it develop and flow, watch it move around in its own space and time, and when it’s done with its meandering ways discover it has wrapped around to a final point that reflects some aspect of the beginning.

Usually a theme recurs and becomes strengthened by being repeated.

Sometimes it is an echo of a good phrase.

I’ve tried doing it my feature articles.

I’ve tried doing it with my blog posts.

And now I can say I’ve done it with my novel.

After writing my ending several times now, I have it pretty much narrowed down to which theme I’m playing to—preservation.

I’ve recently added another section. It might be considered a coda. It’s a dream that becomes a concluding event. Hopefully, it reveals more about the plot and validates some actions taken by a character or two.

More importantly, what I’ve added mirrors the very beginning of my novel in style and tone. But the real bonus—it turns my 103-year-old woman into a major player.

It’s made me happy. I’ll have to wait for the verdicts of my editors and readers to see if I’ve really succeeded or not.

Until then, I’ll enjoy the moment.

And having achieved another circle.