“A story is not about what’s in it but what’s left out.” Hemingway
Have you ever struggled with a key element in your story–the ending, say–and thought it would be cool to just leave it out?
Hemingway’s dictum would seem to support that, only he doesn’t stop there. Less quoted is his punchline: “You have to know everything so you’ll know what to leave out.” Not hearing that part, student fiction writers sometimes get tired of the ceaseless toil involved in building a story and try dropping the troublesome element altogether "I thought I’d let the reader decide," they explain.
But it’s not the reader’s job to decide….
The reader has bought her ticket, and you are driving the bus. What
would you think of a bus driver who, with 50 miles to go, stopped the
bus and announced, "Folks, I really don’t know where we’re going or
why. I thought I’d let you decide."
You have to know everything.
Ultimately, Hemingway was very clear on this matter “The writer who omits things
because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing."
And in case you missed that: “If you leave out or
skip something because you do not know it, the story will be worthless.”
Ouch. Get busy developing your stuff.
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