How to Get the Most from Your Ending
Writers know that the opening chapter must
hook the reader, but that’s only half the battle because the ending of your
book is just as important as the opening.
An ending doesn’t just close a story. It does more
than that – it ties up all the loose ends, it closes those subplots and gives
the reader a satisfactory ending to a good story. But more importantly the ending serves to
sell your next book because if the reader enjoyed the story, they will want to
read more of what you can offer.
The thing about endings, however, is that they are
probably the most difficult things to get right because the ending of a novel
isn’t always clear at the time of writing it. Sometimes the ending only becomes
apparent as the story unfolds, while other writers have at least some idea how
it might end.
To get the most from your ending, it must accomplish several
things – it must make sense and relate directly to the plot, without sounding
convoluted. It must answer all the questions the story has posed, so it also
has to tie up those loose ends and ensure subplots are not left open. Lastly,
make sure the ending is satisfactory.
Make it logical – The kind of ending
you choose depends entirely on the story, but whichever way it ends, it must be
logical to the reader. Everything that takes place within the story
must logically link to the ending. The actions of the main characters will form
the basis of the ending, but must be
believable. Don’t create deus ex machina or make the narrative
contrived in order to try to force the ending. If you’ve taken the time to plan
your story, then an ending that makes sense shouldn’t be too difficult.
There’s nothing worse than the main character doing
something really crazy or completely uncharacteristic to bring about the end of
the novel. It can spoil an otherwise enjoyable story, so avoid doing this.
Relate it to the plot – Ensure that all the events that lead to the ending relate directly to
the plot. Many writers make the mistake of going off at different tangents, which
means the ending sometimes bears no relation to the main plot. Everything has
to relate to each other; otherwise it won’t be a cohesive story.
Tie up loose ends – All the clues and hints and questions need to be resolved. Many
writers forget about all these (especially if they’ve created a complex story).
In other words, don’t leave the reader guessing about the murder weapon in
chapter 30, which is then never mentioned again. Or the shadowy character that
appears in chapter 15, but then is forgotten about.
If you don’t tie up loose ends, you could cause
confusion, and the reader won’t thank you for it.
Wrap up the subplots – Just like the main story, any subplot you have
must also be satisfactorily dealt with. Don’t leave any of these unresolved or ‘hanging’
in mid-air because the story as a whole will not be complete, and the reader
will be left wondering what happened with the characters involved in that
particular subplot. This is why it’s a good reason not to have too many
subplots. Keep them to a manageable amount.
Satisfactory ending – The denouement must conclude in an acceptable and reasonable
way. The ending must fit the story in such a way that the reader will accept it
completely; it needs to feel right rather than feel forced. The reader should
feel that the ending was the right one, and it will complete their enjoyment of the book.
Don’t overcomplicate – Writers have a habit of
making the simple into something complicated. Endings don’t have to be made
overcomplicated or over-explained, otherwise it can become messy or it could spoil the momentum and pace. Keep things
simple. Don't spend three pages afterward explaining why or how things happened. This just spoils the conclusion to the story.
Instead, the ending really should be 'the end'.
A great ending to your novel should make
sense to reader; it should be plausible and it should be the most satisfactory
ending for the story. But however it ends, it needs to be right.
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