Thursday Thoughts...

I've always known when I start a story what the last line is. It's always been the case, since the first story I ever wrote. I don't know how it's going to get there, but I seem to need the destination. I need to know where I end up. It never changes, ever. 

Amy Hempel

I may not ponder this in depth, but I am definitely thinking about it!  I have never read Amy Hempel, and now of course, the first thing I want to do is go look at a book of her short stories and read the last line of each one, before I read the actual stories!

It is an intriguing approach and what a remarkable gift to have. To know the ending, no matter what the story.

I recall that Stephen Covey's ultra successful book the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has as Habit 2 "Begin with the End in Mind", so perhaps that's really all it is. If you know where you are heading with a story, you can craft a path to get there.

On reflection, her approach may not be as startling as it first felt; but I still think there is something remarkable about the specificity of knowing the actual words of the last line; not just kind of how things will end up.

Not exactly sure where this end up...