Happy Enough

Forever or never after

Hey! What makes for a satisfying ending?

There is the cliché that comes with the Hollywood ever after™️and there is the subversion. The lovely chef’s kiss where the camera zooms in on the protagonist’s face to break the fourth wall, staring directly at the audience — of course.

I originally aimed for the first when I came up with the idea of Significatorius.

I thought I would write a forgettable love story and be well on my way.

And so I did that.

But that’s not me.

I realized tying everything up in a cute little bow is fine, but it wasn’t quite my style. Something about how that leans too far into the stereotypical. Even looking at it as a challenge, I just wasn’t vibing with it.

And to really drive that point home, I believe there’s nothing inherently wrong with neat, self-contained stories. A stress-free romp through soft meadows and predictable relationships is a wonderful way to relax.

Writing and Rewriting

I told myself none of that mattered because my goal was clear. However, the psychological barrier I was facing became insurmountable at a certain point.

I found myself not only not enjoying what I was putting on the page, but feeling like it wasn’t even me.

The first series of rewrites thus focused on clearing that up by shifting the voice and centering on a style that aligns more with my quirks.

Something that is a bit more attuned to how I naturally feel and how I actually think.

The characters and outline were already there. I just added a touch more doubt, a pinch more melancholy.

That worked like magic.

But the plot still felt hollow.

I had my generic happy ending, but it wasn’t quite right. Not even because it was predictable.

Or as I began thinking: boring.

Just that it wasn’t mine.

Second Shift

When I went to rewrite everything once again, I dove deep in a different direction.

Rather than aiming for a happily ever after, I let it sting. I wanted a kind of rawness that didn’t necessarily hurt, but certainly left a bittersweet taste in the mouth.

That was how I came to be satisfied with the second rough draft:

A few people have since read, commented, and edited that version. Taking their thoughts into account, what was once 70,000 words is now more than 100,000.

I added about eight new chapters.

Not to pad dialogue or flesh out the plot (not entirely anyway), but to split things up and smooth out the pacing.

One subtle trick I played: cutting down chapter lengths.

My theory is that people enjoy shorter chapters. The breaks give readers permission to pause and breathe. To think. To step away and come back without ever getting lost.

Long chunks of text, on the other hand, can leave people out of breath. Over time, that leads to fatigue. Even if the story itself is compelling, the structure can wear patience thin.

Multiple Threads

The other major change came with that earlier realization. The whole leaning too far into clichés and how that’s not exactly what I wanted to do.

Rather than shun the idea and avoid stereotypes and tropes altogether, I added layers of complexity to Significatorius instead.

For nearly every interaction, there are at least three lenses through which one might interpret the scene:

• Romance — It’s all about love, baby

• Politics — Diplomacy is a cold game of chess

• Religion — Submit to faith and all will be answered

A side-effect of this quilted plot — and I don’t know if it was my original intention — is that I’ve found early readers consistently say Significatorius really pulled them in. In these exact or slightly different words, everyone said:

“I wanted to see what happens next.”

I appreciate what that means.

The kind of easy-to-pick-up, hard-to-put-down energy.

To me, that translates to rhythm and momentum. Beyond the initial spark and enticing pacing, there’s then always another layer to uncover.

If someone isn’t into the love story, they can attempt to decipher and untangle the political past.

And if the mystic religion is all too much, well there’s still a grounded romance they can follow.

And even further beyond all that, there’s also a fully realized rockstar dream running throughout. Cartoonish at times, but that’s part of the charm.

The stage is the perfect place for stylish flairs of colorful indulgence. Watching such a performance while the world around the characters spins on by was, for me, part of the fun.

Satisfaction

So if you only read Significatorius when I first announced the second rough draft, well, maybe there’s something new for you now.

Roughly 30,000 more words.

The broad strokes of the plot haven’t changed, but the depth and pacing have been transformed.

Selfishly, I always appreciate extra eyes catching typos and inconsistencies. The little things that slipped through while I was rewriting and restructuring. More than just the much needed help with editing, I also finally feel confident saying the story itself is simply pleasant to read.

Just enough intrigue to be different. Just enough familiarity to feel comfortable.

If you’re interested in a first or second peek, let me know. I’d love to share.

Until next time,

—JMB