In today's guest post, author Kristina Riggle talks about what happens to her characters when the book is over... or does she? And tonight at 7PM EST, catch Kristina's interview on the blog talk radio show: Book Club Girl On Air.
One of the most common questions I get from book clubs, relating to either of my books, is about what happens next to the various characters. And I’m sorry to report that I’ll never tell. I can only hope I’m charming enough to convince my dear readers not to kick me in frustration (though that would be admittedly difficult over speakerphone or Skype).
Let me explain.
When a book leaves my hands and goes out into the world, it’s no longer just mine. It becomes a joint project between the writer and reader, and evolves into another creation entirely. The Anna in THE LIFE YOU’VE IMAGINED you picture in your head with penny-colored hair tight in a bun won’t look the same as the Anna in my head. And you might hate Paul, Amy’s ambitious property developer fiancé, or you might soften toward him. You might be hopeful for my characters at the end, or fearful, thinking they’re doomed to repeat past mistakes. And that’s just fine with me.
I don’t like to tie up every loose end at the conclusion of my novels. That’s not to say I go in for cliffhangers, or maddeningly ambiguous endings like that movie LOST IN TRANSLATION with a mumbled word as the last thing anyone hears. I aim for satisfying (if not always “happy” in the fairytale sense). I leave some clues as to how I think the long-term story will ultimately play out, and if asked, I will guide the reader to those clues, but in the end, I won’t say what happens because I didn’t write it. Not only that, since I haven’t written it, I don’t know the answer myself. If I didn’t write it, it’s fair game for the reader to fill it in.
Once I read a particular novel I enjoyed thoroughly, and loved the ambiguous (or so I thought) ending, though I had a strong feeling of how I believed it should be interpreted. I merrily flipped the pages to the author Q&A in the back, only to discover the author had a clear and definite intent with her finale and it was the opposite of what I’d expected. I felt a distinct sense of deflation at this. My joy in participating in the author’s world evaporated, plus the ending as the author saw it rang discordant to me. I won’t do that to my readers.
I’m often asked to write sequels to my books, which follow specific characters. In REAL LIFE & LIARS, a couple of particular characters attracted this attention. With the new book, THE LIFE YOU’VE IMAGINED, I’ve been asked to write sequels focusing on almost every major character.
I confess that I love inventing new characters so I have no plans for sequels – at this time. But I always tell people “Never say never.” After all, Terry McMillan just published the sequel to WAITING TO EXHALE and it’s been almost twenty years!
In the meantime, it’s absolutely fair to play out their stories in your head any way you like, and argue about the characters’ ultimate fates over chardonnay and hummus. To me, that’s half the fun of reading, especially in a book club.
Happy reading!
-- Kristina Riggle, Author (www.kristinariggle.net)
PS - I’m all set up for Skype but no book club has asked me to videochat yet. Someone please do! I’m dying to try it. E-mail me.
