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Wednesday, December 4, 2024

High Stakes or High Charm? - IWSG December 2024


Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh.  Thank you to December co-hosts: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine! To find links to all contributors, click here.

December 4 question - Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?

Since I write what I like to read and I’m a tie-it-up-in-a-ribbon type of reader, I stay clear of the cliffs. High stakes is one thing. Of course we want to keep readers engaged but to me, leaving readers hanging at the end of a book seems like a manipulative way of doing so. I’m fine with stories that leave points open to interpretation, but if the plot isn’t resolved by the end, I’ll be disinclined to read that author in the future.

On other topics, the house is partially decorated and I’ve bought a few presents. I’m looking forward to our annual festival on the common this weekend I’ve written about so many times here. All of the local churches gather together and offer jumble sales, meat raffles, book sales and clam chowder. In various iterations, Santa has arrived by boat or fire truck. Now he arrives in a vintage car and sits outdoors on a sleigh in the middle of the town common for photos. At noon, a band made up of former high school musicians from the surrounding area performs a Christmas concert in a church that has stood since the 1700’s. The whole thing is low on pizzaz, high on charm and it’s one of my favorite days of the year. 

Wishing you all the happiness of the season.



What are your favorite holiday traditions?

9 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I don't like cliffhangers either.
That sounds like a great celebration. Wish our town did something like that.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I don't mind cliffhangers in some genres, like fantasy and mystery. I'm glad you're looking forward to the festival this year. I'm getting ready to visit my father-in-law for a few days. It's part of my self-care this year for the holidays, which can still be hard for me. Happy Holidays!

Leigh Caron said...

What a wonderful New England tradition. I'm all in for the clam chowder.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

The festival sounds lovely! Hope you have a great time!

Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the festival!

Joanne said...

High on charm - that sounds wonderful. I picture a Gilmore Girls life - snow always was perfect on that show. Enjoy!
I want books that might continue characters in the future, but the action has finished for that book. How's yours really coming along? I have high hopes for you in 2025. Meanwhile, enjoy the season.

emaginette said...

That sounds so festive and wonderful. Enjoy and have a great holiday season.
Anna from elements of emaginette

Rosemary Johnson said...

Happy Christmas, Liza. Seems like you are further forward than we are!

Olga Godim said...

Oh, Santa in a Vintage car. How charming. Happy holidays to you and yours!