One review of Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees claimed that the ending of the book was inconclusive and that I left too many loose ends. The ending is open and I intentionally left it open so that the reader could use his or her imagination in wondering about all of the possible paths that the characters could take. Will Frank and Donna get back together? Will Silvia go to Portland? Or will she stay in New Jersey and start school? If she does go to Portland, will Cosmo go with her? Will Vince make it to Berkeley? Will Cosmo and Angie have more of a relationship now that they had a friendly exchange at the dinner party? There is a sequel to the book and this sequel will answer some of these questions, but it will also raise more questions for the reader. In having the reader wonder about what will become of the characters, he or she becomes more involved with the story, and is able to experience the story in a much fuller way than if I had neatly wrapped up all the loose ends. Further, my stories are meant to be depictions of real life, and in real life, things are rarely wrapped up in a neat and tidy fashion.
This post is from my blog series, “Tips for Writing Fiction.” Be sure to check out my Greco Family Trilogy books, which include Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
