How to Writing Endings
Endings are highly underrated. But they are extremely important. In fact, to me, they are the most important part of a story. (How many times have you read a book that was fantastic until it got to the end of the tale and you were left feeling disappointed and cheated? I have had that experience a lot.) A dynamic and satisfactory conclusion completes the reading experience. Without it, one is left unfulfilled and a bit irritated.
Endings can be long or short; they can cover several paragraphs or contain only one word. How a story ends depends upon your intentions for the piece and the kind of response you are trying to achieve. For instance, if your story is one filled with suspense, you might want to stretch the conclusion in order to wring every bit of tension and intrigue out of your drama. On the other hand, you may wish to keep your readers hanging just over the edge, so a deliberately short ending can work for you very well. One line may be enough to send shivers of delight up the spines of your audience and a whole chapter may produce pleasing swoons after they have read their last page. It all depends on your intentions. Know what they are. And know when enough is enough.
Knowing when enough is enough is easy when you determine beforehand what your definition of enough is. When you have written enough to reach that destination, no more words are needed. You can add "The End" and send your story on its way.
I have often written the ending before I have even started my beginning because if I know where my story ends, I will also be able to tell where and how it should begin. Then I can play with what goes on in between to my heart’s content. Starting what I’ve previously finished has culminated in many fascinating tales from this editor’s desk. Try it.
In conclusion (here comes my ending!), the keys to a successful ending are these: know your intended audience; know your story’s purpose; use only the words that will suit your story’s purpose and satisfy your audience and leave anything more on the cutting room floor. Because too much of a really good ending is really too much.
Enough said.
Copyright 2005© by Lynette Scott. This article may be reprinted only if it is printed in its entirety and a link back to this web page is provided with the article. All rights reserved.
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