As we close in on the end of both our novel-in-progress and 2019, we’ve been thinking about endings. And beginnings. The opening and closing scenes of a novel are arguably the most important. With two of us writing, how do we divvy those up?

Fairly evenly as it turns out.

Of our nine novels, Jen has written three 1st scenes and six last scenes, while Kent has written six 1st scenes and two last. If he writes the last scene of Sibling of Music Novel when we get there, we’ll have a lovely sort of symmetry.

We didn’t consciously set out to divvy things up this way. Kent more often writes the opening scene due to logistics. After the plot rainbow, the prose outline, and the traditional outline, the next step in our highly structured method is for Jen to write the stubs. Once she gets a couple of those lined up, Kent can jump in and start the actual prose composition while Jen knocks out a bit more of the pre-writing.

As to the endings, Jen seems to be drawn to them. She’s better at wrapping things up (just ask Kent who’s better at wrapping presents), and since Kent’s shift started sooner, it makes sense for Jen to be the last one out the door.

Of course no scene is ever the property of just one of us. We both edit. We both poke and prod and add and clarify and remove. As our unpublished novels make their way through editing, it’s possible that the beginnings and endings will change and this whole beautiful symmetry we’ve got going on will fall apart. We’ll find out next year.

Happy Solstice!