Cristina
asked
Leah Raeder:
Just finished Unteachable! I loved it! I loved the ending and I understood why you ended the way you did (so beautiful) but why did you not feel the need to write an epilogue?
Leah Raeder
Hi Cristina. Thanks for the kind words. As to why I didn't write an epilogue for Unteachable (great question, btw--I was just discussing this with someone else):
The book is all about Maise growing up and beginning a new life of her own choosing, while rejecting the life that was dealt to her by circumstance. The point of her journey isn't whether she finds happiness ever after--it's that she finds the courage in herself to change, grow, and pursue her dreams.
A happy ending doesn't need an epilogue. Personally, I'm not fond of epilogues that reveal too much about a character's future. The end of the Hunger Games comes to mind--loved that series, hated the epilogue. I had my own ideas about the characters' futures, but the author shut them down by saying unequivocally, "This is what happened." Tacking on extra plot at the end often feels manipulative and unnecessary. For me, the most enjoyable part of a novel isn't knowing whether X, Y, and Z plot points happen, but the visceral empathy I feel for the characters as they wrestle with their problems. The journey is always, always more interesting than the destination.
I know many romance readers look forward to an epilogue, but I think Unteachable ended exactly where it needed to. It isn't about whether Maise will find the perfect man and settle down (at eighteen, FFS!). It's about overcoming a bad start and making a new, better start. What happens after those final pages is up to your imagination. Writers and readers create stories together: the writer supplies the raw materials--characters, plot, setting, etc.--but the reader is the one who ultimately brings all of that to life in their own mind.
As a reader, I prefer when an author trusts me to interpret things my own way and doesn't hammer out every last detail for me. Leave some magic in the air. Let me fall under its spell. My favorite books are the ones that haunt me--the ones that end with a little bit of mystery. I don't need to be told all the facts. Art is not a news report.
As a writer, I treat my readers with the same respect. I'm not going to tell you everything. Some of the magic in the story will come from you.
With that said...
My next novel, Black Iris, does have an epilogue. In that story, I felt Laney needed to be set on a clearer course than Maise. I have faith that Maise will pursue everything in her life with gusto, but Laney's future was murkier. This decision didn't come easily--I put a lot of thought into it, and an epilogue was the only thing that felt right for Black Iris.
My books won't always have epilogues; I write until the story ends at a place that feels emotionally satisfying to me. Knowing when to end a story is part of the art of writing. I don't follow set formulas and I can't make promises about what I will or won't do, narrative-wise, so...expect the unexpected. (Also the Spanish Inquisition. Because NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISI okay I'll stop.)
Thanks for the thought-provoking question.
The book is all about Maise growing up and beginning a new life of her own choosing, while rejecting the life that was dealt to her by circumstance. The point of her journey isn't whether she finds happiness ever after--it's that she finds the courage in herself to change, grow, and pursue her dreams.
A happy ending doesn't need an epilogue. Personally, I'm not fond of epilogues that reveal too much about a character's future. The end of the Hunger Games comes to mind--loved that series, hated the epilogue. I had my own ideas about the characters' futures, but the author shut them down by saying unequivocally, "This is what happened." Tacking on extra plot at the end often feels manipulative and unnecessary. For me, the most enjoyable part of a novel isn't knowing whether X, Y, and Z plot points happen, but the visceral empathy I feel for the characters as they wrestle with their problems. The journey is always, always more interesting than the destination.
I know many romance readers look forward to an epilogue, but I think Unteachable ended exactly where it needed to. It isn't about whether Maise will find the perfect man and settle down (at eighteen, FFS!). It's about overcoming a bad start and making a new, better start. What happens after those final pages is up to your imagination. Writers and readers create stories together: the writer supplies the raw materials--characters, plot, setting, etc.--but the reader is the one who ultimately brings all of that to life in their own mind.
As a reader, I prefer when an author trusts me to interpret things my own way and doesn't hammer out every last detail for me. Leave some magic in the air. Let me fall under its spell. My favorite books are the ones that haunt me--the ones that end with a little bit of mystery. I don't need to be told all the facts. Art is not a news report.
As a writer, I treat my readers with the same respect. I'm not going to tell you everything. Some of the magic in the story will come from you.
With that said...
My next novel, Black Iris, does have an epilogue. In that story, I felt Laney needed to be set on a clearer course than Maise. I have faith that Maise will pursue everything in her life with gusto, but Laney's future was murkier. This decision didn't come easily--I put a lot of thought into it, and an epilogue was the only thing that felt right for Black Iris.
My books won't always have epilogues; I write until the story ends at a place that feels emotionally satisfying to me. Knowing when to end a story is part of the art of writing. I don't follow set formulas and I can't make promises about what I will or won't do, narrative-wise, so...expect the unexpected. (Also the Spanish Inquisition. Because NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISI okay I'll stop.)
Thanks for the thought-provoking question.
More Answered Questions
A Goodreads user
asked
Leah Raeder:
Have you written anything YA? I've heard great things about your books on Goodreads, but I'm not comfortable reading NA yet.
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