Prompt #58 — The Last Cuts Are The Deepest
Many times a story is submitted to NANO Fiction and the editors love everything about it except for the last line or two.
PROMPT
Take a look at your fictions and evaluate the last lines. Then cut off all of your darling’s sweet little toes. Does your story end with a question? Cut it. Does it end on a joke or punch line? Cut it. Do you summarize everything in a sentence at the end? Cut that bad boy. What do you have left? More often than not you will find that cutting the last line will create a stronger more impactful story.
I will try this. The story I was about to submit hinges (I thought) on the last line.
What is the logic behind this?
Good advice. I would suggest changing genders as well just to see how the story plays in role reversal.
Am curious though, do you ever make suggested cuts to your submitters? And if not, why not? Legendary publisher/editor Maxwell Perkins did that for his writers constantly. Ernest Hemingway was of course on of the most notable of that group.
Hi Daniel, yes — we often do.