This is an ending? It seems more like a beginning to me. Or even a self-contained story in its own right.

I agree. It looks like a beginning or a short piece of its own.

It's true that a person reading this wants to know how our guy -- a partner in a law firm? partner is a big big deal -- ends up being pimped to a client. But that feels like back story. What feels like a forward story is our guy going out and pursuing the rape charge. It's established that he thinks it will be hard to get representation. This Devon guy (yes, the name is over the top, and you might want to ditch it if you find that it doesn't work with the tone you're working with, but maybe the whole thing is over the top) may be the foil here, but our guy is going to end up with 1) the cop who takes his rape complaint: or 2)the lawyer who represents him in court and/or gets him a new job or 3) the cowboy down the road in the podunk little town he relocates to because it's the only place he can get a new job after the other guys mess him over, and who allies with him in solving some horrible problem there.

But what I really want to see? the werewolf one.

Ah, I knew I should've filled in the back story.

It is the end of the book, and Michael does let things go at that point. Dev had been trying for the whole thing to get into Michael's pants. He succeeded over Michael's protests, and in doing so lost what he was going for. Michael was mostly a willing participant, so it wasn't necessarily as bad as it might seem -- he's mostly furious that Dev didn't respect him saying stop. I've got most of the first chapter written as well, it's just the intermediate bits that need filling in. (And did I mention that Devon was inspired by the song "I can't decide" by the Scissor Sisters? I think I forgot, though the way his character developed it isn't obvious. Personally I blame Russel Davies, but that's just me)

It's not helping that the second book is a lot more solid for me -- after writing the end, most of the second book is pretty clear. I just need to work out the non-character-driven part of the plot, but that, I think, can be fairly thin.

Ah, well, maybe I'll work on the werewolf book instead, even if the bit I posted didn't actually come from its sequel. Or second half. Not sure, I suppose it depends on how long the first bits are.

Dammit, I need more time! Being independently wealthy would make things ever so much easier...

Don't feel too constrained with stories needing strict beginning-middle-ends if you don't feel like writing the middle right away. If the second book is calling your name, write the second book, and slap what you have and a few paragraphs in connecting text on as a prologue.

Do you really need to explore the whole saga of Devon's exploitation of Michael if another story line seems more compelling to you?

It's not necessary, I suppose, I'm just not sure I'm good enough to pull off if the readers don't have the backing of the first book. I may give it a shot and see what it looks like, though -- the characters are more compelling to write after they're broken than before, that's for sure.

It's not necessary, I suppose, I'm just not sure I'm good enough to pull off if the readers don't have the backing of the first book. I may give it a shot and see what it looks like, though -- the characters are more compelling to write after they're broken than before, that's for sure.

What happens in the second book? Is it Michael and Devon again? Because if they're going to have a story after this scene, that's a more interesting story. If they go off and do not have stories with each other, this is definitely an interesting story ending.

Something has to be broken before a story can start. (even if the telling starts before the breaking) A whole egg makes no chicks. Or omelets.

Yeah, the second book (Or, since it's the one I'm actually writing, the first, I guess) takes place a few years later. The first is one of those traditional heroic tragedies -- in resolving the plot, of which there was no sign in the bit I posted, the protagonists ultimately lose in winning. Dev loses Michael, and Michael loses his life, such as it was, the result of a relationship with a significant power imbalance. (The stories are dark modern fantasies, and Dev does pretty much live up to his name)

The second book takes place a few years later, and things have changed. Dev's lost some of his power, at least in the relationship with Michael (or he would if there was one, which there isn't at the start), and Michael's in a much better position than he was.

Still a fair amount of tragedy and betrayal going around, but that's OK, it adds spice.