Should all story loose ends be tied up in your novel?

That’s the quandary I have right now. I am at the stage with my first full length novel, Vile City, where I am doing the final edit before trying to get it published.

My story concerns three women who have been abducted in Glasgow. Whilst the whereabouts of one is well known as it’s her story that makes up about a third of the book, the fate of the other two isn’t.

What have I decided? At the moment I am starting to think that in real life things are not always tied up nicely in a wee bow. Sometimes there is no clear resolution or closure.

But should a novel give readers the closure they might not get in real life? If they don’t, will they be left feeling cheated?

What do I do? My mind keeps going back and forth like a tennis ball hit by an angry Andy Murray.

When I did a quick search on the Internet about this, these are the ones I looked at -

http://preview.tinyurl.com/64avo6j

http://tinyurl.com/6go8y67

http://tinyurl.com/alt6p9

 

Working on the dreaded synopsis...

and I am slowly going insane. I would rather walk over broken glass than write a synopsis. But they are essential to sell a book to a publisher or agent. They tell them what the book is about and let them know what to expect. 

I posted on the Writers' News Talkback site and other writers have been very helpful with their advice.

Maybe I will master the nightmare that is the synopsis before I tear my hair out.

In the meatime, I have found author Lisa Gardiner's site to be a great help. Visit her Conquering the Dreaded Synopsis series of articles here - http://lisagardner.com/writers-toolbox.

Wish I was this bright eyed and bushy tailed...

But, after a night working away into the wee small hours, I am currently lying in a crumpled heap.