To Suck or Not To Suck? [Writing Tips]

|31| Ending Stories

Requested by: ravishinglana

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And I'm so sorry for the wait.

One of the biggest problems for writers when it comes to a story is figuring out how to end it. Perhaps you've got everything plotted down to the very second, but you just don't know how you want to wrap your story up, which is understandable. Let me first acknowledge this piece of advice I once heard: you have to know the ending before the beginning.

Maybe that doesn't make sense upon the first reading of it, but think about it like this: when you're going somewhere, do you just hop in a car and drive, or do you pick out a destination first? Stories are adventures, and they must be treated like so. We must know where we're going before we get there or we'll get lost along the way.

Before I start this off I want to know if you've ever had trouble ending a story, and if so, what was your reason? Now I'm going to name a few problems that come up that could make it hard to end stories.

1. You've become too attached. It happens. Sometimes we have stories that we love so much, we never want them to end. This becomes a problem when that story is 100+ chapters in, and you're asking yourself what happened to your readers. It's great to love your work, obviously. All writers should. But if you're at the point where you simply cannot imagine it ending, you're in way too deep, man.

2. You got lost in the plot. A bit similar to the reason above, except this one is about forgetting what you were writing in the first place. Say you had this awesome idea and jumped in head first with a vague plot that surprisingly lasted a good thirty chapters. Then all of a sudden, you're just writing multiple filler chapters because you don't remember what you were trying to accomplish with your story in the first place. That's not good.

3. You don't want to disappoint yourself or your readers. You've been writing this story for a while now and you're pretty proud of it. You've gotten great feedback from your readers, and you believe it's your best work. So, when it comes to ending this story, you're not sure how to leave the reader and yourself satisfied. You want to leave an impression on them, while staying true to the characters you've created. Sometimes that can be difficult, and lead you to putting off the ending.

4. You have no ideas on how to end it. Maybe it's because you have multiple ways, and can't decide which one you should use. Or maybe it's just because you dived in without a destination and still don't know where you're going. Now, I'm not saying you absolutely have to pick an end before you start your story, but try it and you might see a big difference when you sit down to write.

These are just some of the reasons you might find yourself not being able to end your story. And if you don't need help with that, let's move right on to the types of endings. Just like movies, story endings usually fall under the two main categories: open and closed.

An open ending is basically a cliffhanger. It leaves questions unanswered, character's desires unfulfilled, and opens the door to a possible sequel. With a closed ending, however, you've manage to tie up any loose strings you had throughout the story. All questions are answered, and that chapter of your character's life has been brought to a close. Of course, this doesn't mean a sequel is off the table, as stories with closed endings can have them as well.

There are multiple sub-categories when it comes to ending stories, and sometimes you don't know what will work best for you. That's why I'm going to list a few ending options for you to consider. Each of which (besides cliffhanger) can be used as an open or closed ending.

1. Cliffhanger Ending. Why not start with one that's used rather frequently? We all know what this ending is, and I'd say it's used to its full ability when you have plans of making a sequel. A cliffhanger will more than likely keep the reader reading on to the next book, because their curiosity gets the best of them, and they want to know what will happen next.

2. Circular Ending. This is where your story comes full circle. From the end, back to the beginning, meaning your story ends similar to how it began. For example, it would be your character reflecting on all that's gone wrong in their life to start the story, but by the end, they're reflecting on the things that have gone right.

3. Happy Ending. An ending where everything turned out fine for the character, and they're with the loves of their lives, or surrounded by family. It doesn't have to be some fairy tale type thing. Happy endings can exist without getting all sappy and unrealistic.

4. Sad Ending. Can be shown by having a character react to the death of a loved one, or a break-up between the characters that the story focused on. A sad ending is used when you want your readers to feel your character's pain.

5. Question Ending. An ending that, to no one's surprise, ends in a question. When you end on a question, it doesn't keep your readers guessing, as a cliffhanger would, but it keeps them wondering. It gets them thinking on what could have been or what will be. It's also a way to leave on a strong statement, as you leave your readers trying to answer said question.

There are still a number of different endings, and I barely scratched the surface. If you don't know what ending will suit your story best, try writing multiple endings, each one different. And then when the time comes, compare the endings to see which one flows better and is more satisfying to you.

To Suck

Putting off the ending of your story, or not knowing which type of ending you should use.

Not To Suck

Knowing where you want your story to go and how it ends, and having an ending that captivates the audience, whether it be open or closed, sad or happy.

Coming up (last chapter):
-How we know we're good writers

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