Chad,
It's obvious that you care about the craft, awards or no. That's part of the reason why you're posting here. Someone asked a question, and you wanted to share your approach, and that's good. It's a reasonable, rational, and in some ways typical, approach. I happen to disagree with it, but that's fine too. I'm sure you've done fine work, but just understand that you have to have a thick skin if you post here, either under your real name or an anonymous handle, and getting angry or flip or quoting your resume isn't going to help. There are several people on this site (including on this thread) who have won, or been finalists for, national magazine awards or a Pulitzer. Several who have been anthologized in BASW, or written widely-praised books of their own. None of them cited these facts in an attempt to shoot down your argument, and I don't think any of them assumed, as you said, that everyone's situation is the same. To be angry with them for debating you while remaining anonymous is like an NFL player agreeing to play in Canada and then getting angry there are only three downs in Canadian football. That's something you have to accept when you log on to SportsJournalists.com. People make things personal around here. And the SportsJournalists.com chorus, for the most part, appreciates humility. You've shown some now, clarified yourself, and as Mr. jgmacg said, all is right once again in the world.
As for the discussion, maybe endings don't keep people reading, and are thus, less important. But as a beat writer, an ending can be especially good at getting a reader to come back and read you tomorrow. Buster Olney and Dave Sheinin, who are are/were as good at writing gamers as anyone in the business, were especially good at endings. Barry Svrluga is very good at it now. Rarely do they just let a story fizzle out. As a reader, a great ending might leave me with the feeling that I want to come back tomorrow and read that writer again because of the insight I've gained. One of the more helpful things I've learned here is to always think about where the story is going. A great lead, yes, gets the reader in the door, but then everything else can build to a strong finish. The advice often thrown around here, especially by wise souls like Jones, Friend of the Friendless and jgmacg, isn't always poster specific, and isn't always about how to craft the perfect 15-incher, even if that's what's being discussed. It's general advice about the art of storytelling. And it's great advice for anyone to keep in mind if they aspire to write stories larger than 15 or 20 inches. That's the point they're making. Writing a strong lead on a gamer is the first and most important lesson to learn. But eventually, you take the next step (even under deadline) and try to write great leads with even better finishes. If you've already mastered the art of getting the readers to the party (your analogy), as a writer, your next goal should be to make certain that ther last drink, last dance, or last kiss is just as memorable so they can't wait for the next invite to arrive on their doorstep.
