Day 303: When The End Is Not The End
I'm kicking off the SWJ Writer's Retreat by tackling the ending of The Calling. Screencraft is holding a horror screenplay competition with the final deadline in two days. I've received mostly positive notes on The Calling, but the ending seems to be confusing for most readers. I think it's an issue of overwriting and making what should be a fairly simple wrap up far too complicated. I'm going to lose the time jump and let the story end on the final trip to the waterfall instead of traveling "back in time" to the first night. This means the Sheriff stays dead, and I'll lose the audience "option" of considering the entire experience as something that Connor imagined in his head. Sort of a "life flashing before his eyes" concept. It's an interesting idea, but the story doesn't really support it, and it is never set up in a way for the audience to go "Oh, I get it" when it comes around in the finale. Right now, it comes across like the 'Bobby's Death Was Only a Dream' explanation on Dallas. I think I can do better, but I've only got two days to it.
