Writing the Last Word

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inComte de Lautreamont, Frank Harris, Frank Herbert, Gloria Swanson, Sir Winston Churchill, WritingTags:, , , ,

Glencoe

There is always the last word, the closing argument, the final chapter in any storyline.  The End – this is where the reader closes the book and says, “I wish there was more…”

As we write our personal narratives, our words gather momentum as we age.  Recall that great feats and resolutions happen towards the end, not at the beginning. Perhaps that is the reason memoirs are generally written in the “denouement” stage of life.  Looking through the lens of age it is easier to sort out the complications and fashion a fitting outcome to a life well lived.

Gloria Swanson confessed, “I’ve given my memoirs far more thought than any of my marriages.  You can’t divorce a book.”  Winston Churchill said, “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Conversely, the Comte de Lautreamont said “I will leave no memoirs.”  Frank Harris, editor and journalist, declared that, “Memoirs are a well-known form of fiction.”

Whether we write, paint, sing, dance or live our memoirs, one thing is certain – no one else can write our story as eloquently or passionately. The journey continues – write with enthusiasm.  Recall the words of Frank Herbert, “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.”

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

19 thoughts on “Writing the Last Word”

  1. I believe Gandalf tellb Bilbo something similar in the council of Elrond when the ring is revealed to the wise and the decision of what to do is made.

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    1. The one that comes to mind is: “How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back.” J.R.R. Tolkien. But I will need to get out my LOTR for the council of Elrond. Thanks for your comments – they are always appreciated!!!

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      1. going from memory, when they are discerning what to do, and silence surrounds the table, Bilbo stands up and says something like “Bilbo started this, and Bilbo will finish it. Gandalf then gently replies that his part is merely a small part in a much longer adventure.

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      2. I found the quote – page 287!!! “Of course, my dear Bilbo,” said Gandalf. “If you had rally started this affair, you might be expected to finish it. but you know well enough now that starting is too great a claim for any and that only a small part is played in great deeds by any hero. You need not bow! Though the word was meant, and we do not doubt that under jest you are making a valiant offer. But one beyond your strength, Bilbo. You cannot take this thing back. It has passed on.”

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      3. yes, another of those passages that so touchingly describe life.

        I have always felt that Tolkien in his description defined obsession and addiction so powerfully as to be almost textbook.

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  4. Pingback: Writing the Last Word « Le Blog de Jean-Paul

    1. Yes, it is, but only for now. Writing is always part of the blogging discussion. I am very happy that you joined the dialogue – you added so much to the conversation. Thank you!!!

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    1. Close – Glencoe, Scotland!!! It was one of those amazingly clear days where the world seemed to go on forever. It was a Tolkien moment. That was the trip that gave me the name “Clanmother.” My son arranged for a family trip on a Haggis adventure. My husband and I were the oldest of the group; somewhere along the line, someone started to call me the Clanmother.

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