Satisfy Me

I have been a bit obsessed this week with novel endings. As a reader, I am a fan of the HEA. It makes me all warm & fluffy. In this post, we will look at the 3 ways to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.

You Were Saying? - Dialogue. Not the parting words, but the words of closure. As a girl, I think I might be hard wired for the closure thing. Even from my hairdresser - sad! It doesn't have to be lengthy exposition either. Movies are great at accomplishing this. So is television. Remember Kojak & the "Who loves ya baby?" line at the end of the show. This one bit would wrap it all in a neat little bow.

The Pros of Prose - This type of ending is popular because the author gets to finish tying all the bleeders with a bit of writerly flair. Some do it with epilogues; some do not. It's a writer's choice. 'Freedom' by Jonathan Franzen uses this type of ending. And, the reader is left with the sense that all is right in the character's worlds.

Cliff Hanging - There are times when a writer decides a sequel will be forthcoming. And, they might choose a cliffhanger ending. However, it is important to understand that leaving the reader hanging from a thread will not make him/her happy. Special care must be taken with the cliffhanger. Even in a series, the book generally needs to stand on its own. This requires a special touch; wrap/unwrap. Think of it like a fan dancer; she is always careful to cover all the bits, but delivers the illusion that she might let ya see something extra.

However one chooses to end the story is a mesh between the characters & the writers themselves.
Writer/cartographer meets character/delivery person.

Happy Writing,

Patti

Bow Ties

There are 3 steps to bring a story to its conclusion. First, the plot & all subplots meet & most are resolved. Second, the ending hits the emotional bread basket & leaves readers satisfied. And last, the character arc is realized - positive, negative or no change. Plotting the end is almost as difficult, if not more so, than the beginning. Let's look at some of the methods that might help the process.

Dead End - Make a determination where the story ends. There is nothing that comes after; no epilogue, no further explanation. A predetermined end point allows the story to unfold from the set-up.

Ready, Set, Go - Timing is everything. Picking the perfect time to end the story leaves the reader feeling satisfied. Sometimes pulling out almost at the end can be even better. In the HEA ending, it is implied; riding into the sunset, getting to the altar, kissing.

Conflictus Resolvus - Determine the main conflict, all of its possible endings then decide which is best for the story. The convergence point allows all of the conflicts to be tidied not necessarily resolved.

The Beat Goes On - When the story is complete, the reader walks away feeling that the main characters are still living out there somewhere. On some plane, all of our favorite characters are partying in the ether.

Happy Writing,

Patti