Writing Focus: Ending a Story

There is nothing more satisfying than reading a story whose ending is well-written and clears up all of those last-minute niggles. Writing it, however, can be a whole different story! Thinking about how to wrap up something you’ve been writing can be an emotional and difficult time, no matter how short your story is!

What Is a Good Story Ending?

Much like the beginning of a story, there is no solid answer to what makes a good ending. However, there are a few basic things that constitute an ending being good in the minds of most. The ending should give a reader a sense of closure and an idea that all of the main ideas of the story have been wrapped up in a neat little bow. It should also have a clear resolution to the main conflict of the novel, unless you’re writing a cliff-hanger ending with the intention of writing a sequel! Again, though, these are all merely suggestions for creating what many feel a good ending includes.

Tips

As your ending is a conclusion, it should effectively conclude any plot-lines and answer any questions that your story as a whole has asked. An easy way to ensure this is to write down every plot-line, plot-bunny, side-plot and question that your story throws at the reader. Look at each of these individually and then look at the majority of your written work. Does what you have already answer or conclude? If not, it is a good idea to include the conclusion to that particular section in the ending of your story. However, when doing this, make sure that you don’t include too much! If your final chapter is going to be filled with information that might overload the reader, it may be best to extend the story by a few more chapters to effectively conclude the piece.

You may not want to conclude your story, however – that’s fine! Cliffhanger endings are becoming more popular and are used both as a prop to lead into the beginnings of a sequel and as a way of allowing the reader to think up their own endings. Be careful, however, that you don’t leave too much unanswered as you may find that your readers think the ending is weak, or lacks a sense of conclusion. Stopping a story abruptly may not even seem like an ending, and several people may not even realize that the story has come to an end! Think carefully about the main point that you want to leave open to the readers – does the bad guy get away? If that’s your main aim, then be sure you conclude any sub-plots or solve any other problems before you end the story to ensure it still has some sense of conclusion to it.

Don’t be afraid to use elements from your story beginning, or even the middle of your story. Tying everything back together may mean doubling back and mentioning something written earlier. Reminding people of elements of the story that may perhaps be forgotten will give the impression that you’ve thought of everything in terms of the ending of the piece, and it ties the whole story together perfectly.

Finally, much the same as with your story beginning, getting a second opinion on how strong or weak your ending is can be a lifesaver. Get someone to read through your story from beginning to end, and then ask how the ending fits in. Take any opinions or concerns that they may have and implement them. Multiple opinions can give the best idea of what is working in the story and what is not.

Prompts

1. Your character has had a fight with one of his or her best friends. Write about how the fight ends, paying close attention to what the fight was initially about and how this conflict is resolved.
2. Re-write the ending to a popular story, changing it to what you believe is a final chapter that concludes all of the main points in the story itself.
3. Write a story where a shock twist at the end leaves the readers wanting more, but without making it too abrupt. Focus on the main twist and ensure that all other story sub-plots are wrapped up accordingly.

Coming to the end of something you’ve worked hard on can be rewarding and incredibly difficult, but it doesn’t have to be a chore! By planning carefully and ensuring that you wrap everything up effectively, the satisfaction you feel can be mirrored in the minds of your readers, so why not start taking more time on your endings?

Special thanks to elixir and silent hearts. for editing!