The title of this blog reflects two themes:
1) It’s been twelve months since I last posted on my author webpage. Thus, my January and December posts can be thought of as forming literal and figurative ‘bookends.’
2) When writing, I begin each new novel by composing the last chapter first. Thus, I have a target toward which to steer my narrative.
Regarding my first theme, I’m not proud to admit that I’ve neglected my blog posting. My main excuse is to say that I’ve been busy with other things. Such as writing actual books. I’ve published three this year: a cozy mystery, an epic fantasy, and a true history. And I lost nearly three months to COVID. Plus the fishing was good this year, so angling took up quite a few mornings and evenings–those hours being the peak times when fish are biting.
Regarding my second theme, I’m not kidding when I declare that I write the endings first. In practice, the initially drafted ending may need to be adjusted when the preceding narrative takes (as it often does) an unexpected turn. Sometimes what I thought to be the quintessential climax turns out to be (as we say in mountaineering) a false summit or anti-climax. But–even given qualifications, caveats, and provisos–writing the ending first still helps me craft my stories.
Look at it this way. How can a person tell a joke if they don’t know the punchline?
d.p. BENJAMIN 