Q: When do you decide a story is finished?
A: When I first get through to “The End,” I set the story aside and mull over how to fix the points I’m not satisfied with. Sometimes I can put my finger on the problems at once and how to fix them; other times I know something’s wrong but need some time to puzzle out what. Then, I revise. I hardly ever agree a story’s perfect, but there’s a point where I know it’s good and I don’t know how to make it any better – and that’s when I decide it’s finished.
William Condon’s story “Of Hair and Beanstalks” was
published on Friday, 7 December 2018.
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