Advice on ending stories

[Jay142]

I have written over 100 stories and admit that one of my weak spots is in ending a story or series. Most times, I don't bring the story to a conclusion. Any time I've clearly ended it, readers don't like the ending (which seems inevitable). If I don't write to an obvious conclusion, readers ask for more chapters.

I have found it difficult to write more than a couple of chapters because I found my writing and storylines become redundant and boring, even to write them. I am amazed at the authors who write 10,20,30, or more chapters.

I was wondering what other authors do. How do you end your stories? Should I even worry about it? My thoughts in the past have been, "It is what it is," and go on to the next story.

 

[alohadave]

Fade to black...

You don't need a big fancy ending that wraps up all storylines. Just resolve the main storlines. The characters will continue living their lives, so no matter how you end a story, something can happen to instigate a continuation if you feel like it later.

 

[NotWise]

Generally, to end a story well, you need to plan the ending. It's important.

"How to end a story" is something you can google. There are a lot of authorial thoughts on the subject, and specific mechanisms you can use.

Given the near impossibility of wrapping everything up at the end, the best options is to find a way that will leave the readers satisfied even if there isn't complete closure.

I've used cyclic endings where the last scene is similar to the first in two of my last four stories (Deal is a Deal and Escape from Cimarron). They seem to work well. I used a variation of Chekhov's Gun (Chekhov's kite?) in a third story (Naked House) and even got a comment about how it tied the story together. The last of the four uses no such tool to leave the readers satisfied, and people comment that the ending is abrupt.

Despite all the work you might put into a satisfying ending, there will still be readers who ask for more. There's nothing you can do about that.

 

[NuclearFairy]

If I don't know how it ends I'm not posting it. That doesn't mean I won't write the beginning of a story if it sticks with me hard enough. But if I'm determined to continue writing then I'll come up with an ending to work my way towards. The exception is slice of life. Slice of life stories have no satisfactory conclusive ending and are better written as a collection of short stories about the same person or people.

Which is essentially what my stories The Party and The Date are. There's nothing big or dramatic going on in Harper and Erick's life that would make for long term entertainment, but getting several peeks into their life is fun.

And really, slice of life doesn't need an ending. Just fade to black and pick up again next time they have something worth writing about.

 

[ShamBaLa]

I'll go with NotWise above. After 100 stories I wouldn't think this would be an issue. Conventional wisdom is to "begin with the end in mind" Where do you want this to go? How "should" it end?
In my case I sort of have an ending graph and write to get there. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes the story makes me modify the ending.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

Jay, I'm a big fan, so I'm glad to see you here. Love the Hannah the Whore series, one my absolute favorites.

I'm one of the people who writes the 20+ chapter series, and the only reason I can do so with a good ending (at least an ending I am okay with) is because I knew where I was headed when I started. I wanted each of my first two series to end on a cliff hanger with a big reveal and plot twist, and the final series will end the whole story.

If you start writing with the ending in mind, this becomes easier to do. I see this advice has already been given, so let me just reiterate it, lol. But that advice is worthless for the folks who just start writing and see where the story goes. Those are a bit harder to do. In that scenario, I'd just get the characters to a place where it makes sense to leave them - somewhere they can be where if you choose to go back and pick them up again you can, but where it's still satisfying if there's no more to come.

For example - Hannah. You left it with a "only time will tell" and the hope for future stories, but where you left it was perfectly fine. Sarah and Hannah had a great time in Vegas, and there doesn't really need to be more if you don't get back to it.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I've been accused of rushing the ending. I have had the end of my Gotta Pay the Piper story in my mind for at least 15 chapters.
One story I think I ended well, was Slave Camp. It simply ended with one of the MC's finding out he was going to live (He thought he had a heart attack). His comment? Laissez les bon temps rouler... let the good times roll.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I was wondering what other authors do. How do you end your stories? Should I even worry about it? My thoughts in the past have been, "It is what it is," and go on to the next story.

Have an ending in mind before you finish writing it. Ideally, one really shouldn't publish anything until the entire story is complete. There are so many advantages to this. The only advantage to posting chapters as you go is the instant gratification of having it out there and readers giving you 5s and comments, but ultimately this just handcuffs your plot.

But have an ending in mind, a good one that you are satisfied with, and write towards it. If you have trouble plotting ahead and need to write chronologically to find out where it goes, then definitely finish the story before you publish any of it. That way you won't get stuck meandering and aimless plot that ends up with a weak finish.

I have found it difficult to write more than a couple of chapters because I found my writing and storylines become redundant and boring, even to write them. I am amazed at the authors who write 10,20,30, or more chapters.

Don't worry about those. Most of those series are not much more than indulgent fantasies that meander just as aimlessly or worse than anything else. Most of the time they are nothing to be amazed about.

 

[Trionyx]

I enjoy having a twist at the ending or, less interesting perhaps, a small joke.
Another thing to consider as a “look back” summary from sometime in the future. One of my most popular stories did this by having both the main protagonists look back at the events thirty years later. It helped give some closure to the loss suffered by the MMC.
It is perfectly OK to have a story end with suspense, such as with an April Fool’s joke being played out.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Most of my stories reach an natural end, in which case, that's the end. Some I leave open ended (but resolved for the time being), in case I'm inclined to write a sequel. Although I won't make the mistake of titling a story with Ch.01 again, and six year's later there's still no Ch.02.

I've got a short coda on a few, a "years later" type of thing, which makes the piece come full circle, but implies a while 'nother story arc in between. I'm especially proud of this one:

Many years later Lizzie returned to the café. It had changed hands several times, but still had tables outside, circled around the spreading tree. She asked the waiter if that table, over there by the tree, was taken. It wasn't, and she asked, pointing to a Reserved sign, black writing on gold, may I take that sign to place on the table? Do you mind? Not at all, the waiter replied, are you expecting someone?

No, she replied. I used to work here, that table had a special meaning. A couple I met, they were very good to me. They always sat there. I come back when I can, to remember them.

Can I expect you again? Will you see them?

No, they moved away from this city, it's only me coming back.

The server left Lizzie to her memories, and after bringing her coffee in a delicate cup, stood watching her.

She touched an amulet that hung against her neck, attached to a black velvet ribbon that circled her throat. As she turned it in her hand, she crossed one leg over the other and began to swing her foot. Her legs were long, clad in high leather boots and black lace stockings. Her very short skirt, also leather, revealed a glimpse of a long slender thigh.

Lizzie caught the look, the long watching, the longing. She turned the handle of her cup towards the waiter and beckoned, with a subtle rise of her finger. The waiter came to her.

When you serve me, you may call me Elizabeth, she said.

 

[HordHolm]

I have written over 100 stories and admit that one of my weak spots is in ending a story or series. Most times, I don't bring the story to a conclusion. Any time I've clearly ended it, readers don't like the ending (which seems inevitable). If I don't write to an obvious conclusion, readers ask for more chapters.

I have found it difficult to write more than a couple of chapters because I found my writing and storylines become redundant and boring, even to write them. I am amazed at the authors who write 10,20,30, or more chapters.

I was wondering what other authors do. How do you end your stories? Should I even worry about it? My thoughts in the past have been, "It is what it is," and go on to the next story.

One way around this is adding an epilogue. It needn't be long, and can even take the form of a 'cold close', moving to some point further in the future with main characters (or side characters) looking back in some way t a close that, for them, happened in the past.

 

[AlexIce]

I usually cap things with a brief epilogue, a brief glimpse into the happily ever after. When I start my stories, I write down a "road map" of sorts. I'll write down major plot points, along with a brief summary as to what will happen during each event, along with how I want the ending to unfold; All of these, of course, are subject to change but it always gives me a solid foundation for the flow of my story.

 

[Jay142]

Jay, I'm a big fan, so I'm glad to see you here. Love the Hannah the Whore series, one my absolute favorites.

I'm one of the people who writes the 20+ chapter series, and the only reason I can do so with a good ending (at least an ending I am okay with) is because I knew where I was headed when I started. I wanted each of my first two series to end on a cliff hanger with a big reveal and plot twist, and the final series will end the whole story.

If you start writing with the ending in mind, this becomes easier to do. I see this advice has already been given, so let me just reiterate it, lol. But that advice is worthless for the folks who just start writing and see where the story goes. Those are a bit harder to do. In that scenario, I'd just get the characters to a place where it makes sense to leave them - somewhere they can be where if you choose to go back and pick them up again you can, but where it's still satisfying if there's no more to come.

For example - Hannah. You left it with a "only time will tell" and the hope for future stories, but where you left it was perfectly fine. Sarah and Hannah had a great time in Vegas, and there doesn't really need to be more if you don't get back to it.

Thank you for the advice. I'm one of those writers who writes as I go along. I have a general plot line, but it can take a twist as I write. The Hannah the Whore series is one of my favorites because it was a collaboration with a bi-sexual couple. Hannah was looking for an author to write a story for her partner, Sarah, as a Christmas present. It was a combination of Hannah's fantasies and my creative writing. She helped me grow as an author with her constructive criticism and advice, but I felt that series ran its course. I think my best stories are those I've written for other people. It keeps the stories fresh, and I enjoy bringing their fantasies into a story.

 

[Jay142]

The responses are eye-opening for me because I've never written a story with the end in mind. I just go with the flow.

 

[Voboy]

I often seek an ending that looks as if it could possibly lead to a sequel, but mostly brings some form of closure to the central relationship in the story I'm telling. If I don't understand that relationship, a good ending is impossible.

More often than not, I like to leave the future of that relationship as a possibility rather than a certainty, so that the reader can decide whether it ends or whether it continues. The ending usually comes to me when I'm about halfway done with the story, because by then I know the characters well enough to understand how they're going to end up. The contour of their relationship becomes clear, and I start searching for a natural place to end the story I'm telling about it.

When the time comes to actually write the ending, I usually try to end with something vaguely witty, so that the reader ends up smiling. It's possible to do that even when the trajectory of the relationship is bittersweet, as it often is.

 

[SkyBubble]

I usually have a "soft ending" after the action concludes. Just a sentence or two to wrap.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm one of those that has an end in mind almost from the beginning, so it's never an issue.

I don't worry about things like epilogues or finality. To me, life is not like that. I like endings that are not too long, that feature a nice turn of phrase, or conclude with appropriate dialogue. I usually leave open the possibility of things happening after the story. "Keep them wanting more." Better to end a story too soon than too late.

 

[ronde]

I have written over 100 stories and admit that one of my weak spots is in ending a story or series. Most times, I don't bring the story to a conclusion. Any time I've clearly ended it, readers don't like the ending (which seems inevitable). If I don't write to an obvious conclusion, readers ask for more chapters.

I have found it difficult to write more than a couple of chapters because I found my writing and storylines become redundant and boring, even to write them. I am amazed at the authors who write 10,20,30, or more chapters.

I was wondering what other authors do. How do you end your stories? Should I even worry about it? My thoughts in the past have been, "It is what it is," and go on to the next story.

It doesn't matter if the story is a stand-alone story or multiple chapters. To arrive at an "ending" you need to plan for that ending. If you don't you'll end up trying to force what you wrote into an ending that may or may not make sense to a reader. Even multiple chapters need to have some sort of ending to each chapter with maybe a "hook" line or two to encourage readers to read the next chapter.

With an ending in mind, you can structure your plot so your character reach that ending in a believable or at least a plausible manner. It's not enough to just write a few thousand words and then write an ending that says they lived happily ever after. Readers want to know why and how they ended up at your ending.

As an aside, you shouldn't worry that readers want more chapters. That just means your characters and plot captivated them and they want more. It's more of a compliment than a criticism.

 

[TheArsonist]

Lots of people are saying you need to know where you're going to end it and write towards that ending all along, but I think that is a little reductive. Many serialized stories (TV shows, comic books, genre novels with a series hero, etc.) are started with no concrete ending in mind, and then when they want to wrap it up the writer or writers have to find an ending.

I know that some writers talk about how it's a matter of identifying the "story engine" and figuring out what it would take for it to stop. Often, the story engine is some unresolved tension; a mismatch between what the characters want and what they have, which can be used to generate storylines.

For example, take Frasier (the 90s version). It has a number of story engines: the friction between Frasier and his dad sharing an apartment, the attraction between Niles and Daphne, and the tension between Frasier's pretentiousness and the often lowbrow nature of his job, for example. (Frasier's dating life also contributes from time to time.)

These story engines can evolve over time (cf. how the relationship between Niles and Daphne changed), but if you want to provide a satisfying ending you should think about how the tensions in the central engines can be resolved so that it feels like "that story is over." (SPOILER) Frasier ends with Martin moving out to get remarried, Daphne and Niles having a child, and Frasier moving on to a different job in a different city. (END SPOILER)

If you find that you can't really identify a story engine in your series (any more), and each chapter is just adding repetitive sex scenes and random directionless plot developments, you should probably have wrapped it up earlier. (Just like many hit TV shows go on longer than they should.) In that case, try to go back to the starting point and see what the tension that set the story in motion was about.

Maybe something causes the characters to reflect on the difference between then and now and recognize that this is their "end state" (for better or worse) — this might for example be that they meet someone who reminds them of themselves at the beginning, or that something that happened early on happens again, but now with a completely different outcome. Try to get the point across that the characters have been on a journey, and now that journey is over or is moving on to a different phase.

 

[HordHolm]

Lots of people are saying you need to know where you're going to end it and write towards that ending all along, but I think that is a little reductive. Many serialized stories (TV shows, comic books, genre novels with a series hero, etc.) are started with no concrete ending in mind, and then when they want to wrap it up the writer or writers have to find an ending.

I know that some writers talk about how it's a matter of identifying the "story engine" and figuring out what it would take for it to stop. Often, the story engine is some unresolved tension; a mismatch between what the characters want and what they have, which can be used to generate storylines.

For example, take Frasier (the 90s version). It has a number of story engines: the friction between Frasier and his dad sharing an apartment, the attraction between Niles and Daphne, and the tension between Frasier's pretentiousness and the often lowbrow nature of his job, for example. (Frasier's dating life also contributes from time to time.)

These story engines can evolve over time (cf. how the relationship between Niles and Daphne changed), but if you want to provide a satisfying ending you should think about how the tensions in the central engines can be resolved so that it feels like "that story is over." (SPOILER) Frasier ends with Martin moving out to get remarried, Daphne and Niles having a child, and Frasier moving on to a different job in a different city. (END SPOILER)

If you find that you can't really identify a story engine in your series (any more), and each chapter is just adding repetitive sex scenes and random directionless plot developments, you should probably have wrapped it up earlier. (Just like many hit TV shows go on longer than they should.) In that case, try to go back to the starting point and see what the tension that set the story in motion was about.

Maybe something causes the characters to reflect on the difference between then and now and recognize that this is their "end state" (for better or worse) — this might for example be that they meet someone who reminds them of themselves at the beginning, or that something that happened early on happens again, but now with a completely different outcome. Try to get the point across that the characters have been on a journey, and now that journey is over or is moving on to a different phase.

Whilst I can see what you're driving at, and I wouldn't deny your viewpoint, I would worry that far too many series end up petering out because the writers don't know when to end/are presented with valid reasons ($$$$$) to continue past the point where the story should end. Viz. your example of Frasier - the last couple of seasons were forgettable, Friends - even worse, Cheers if we want to go back a bit further, Lost as another example, or The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother or Buffy. In fact the list goes on...

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

Lots of people are saying you need to know where you're going to end it and write towards that ending all along, but I think that is a little reductive. Many serialized stories (TV shows, comic books, genre novels with a series hero, etc.) are started with no concrete ending in mind, and then when they want to wrap it up the writer or writers have to find an ending.

And they almost always fuck it up.

LOST. Sopranos. Game of the Thrones. St. Elsewhere. Quantum Leap.

The list goes on and on. The series that get cancelled or don't have a finale designed from the beginning end up with the writers trying to find an ending, and almost always fucking it up and leaving fans dissatisfied.

I can see your point, and to Simon's point sometimes no ending is fine, but I think when we're plotting stories that are supposed to be longer, writing the ending somewhere near the start of your writing ensures that you know where you're going and you can tighten the story up as it goes along. That way, when you get there, it's not going to feel contrived or a let down, and you don't have to do something stupid like say, "It was all a dream" ala Newhart, or, worse, it was all in the imagination of some random person we're never introduced to, like in St. Elsewhere - which I still remember my parents bitching about when I was a kid.

 

[oneagainst]

Often, the ending is the first thing to come in a story. But sometimes, the ending is a question... e.g. "Tell me what you want." - sometimes the most effective ending is to leave it at a crossroads.

Readers can ask for a part 2, but you're under no obligation to squeeze a part 2 out. Sometimes the best bit is what the reader imagines happens next.

 

[crookedletter]

Readers/viewers/consumers in general love the idea of a sequel. Until it comes and it's almost aways disappointing*. I don't think you should interpret comments clamoring for more as an indicator that your story hasn't ended. If you feel like it's ended, if your characters feel like it's ended, it's ended.

* with the obvious and well-documented exceptions

 

[SimonDoom]

And they almost always fuck it up.

LOST. Sopranos. Game of the Thrones. St. Elsewhere. Quantum Leap.

The list goes on and on. The series that get cancelled or don't have a finale designed from the beginning end up with the writers trying to find an ending, and almost always fucking it up and leaving fans dissatisfied.

I can see your point, and to Simon's point sometimes no ending is fine, but I think when we're plotting stories that are supposed to be longer, writing the ending somewhere near the start of your writing ensures that you know where you're going and you can tighten the story up as it goes along. That way, when you get there, it's not going to feel contrived or a let down, and you don't have to do something stupid like say, "It was all a dream" ala Newhart, or, worse, it was all in the imagination of some random person we're never introduced to, like in St. Elsewhere - which I still remember my parents bitching about when I was a kid.

The length of the story is important. A long story ought to have a satisfying ending. A short story doesn't have to be "wrapped up" the same way. Which isn't to say it shouldn't have a satisfying ending. But in the case of a short story, a satisfying ending can be a bit of dialogue, or a memorable sentence or paragraph. That's how I usually try to end my short stories--with a memorable line that I think of as a finishing note. It helps me to have that finising note in mind as I write, so the whole thing hangs together.

For example, in a mom-son incest short story, the last part of the story will almost always be sex that consummates the physical attraction and also serves as a climax to the story up to that point. Once the sex happens, I typically bring the story to a quick close with a quip by one of them, or an observation by me as the narrator that I hope strikes the right tone. But I don't provide a conclusion to the relationship. The reader is free to speculate about what will happen with the two characters when the story is done. Even with my longest mom-son story, which was 8 chapters, it ended this way, and I'm still satisfied with that. I think it works for most readers, too.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I have written over 100 stories and admit that one of my weak spots is in ending a story or series. Most times, I don't bring the story to a conclusion. Any time I've clearly ended it, readers don't like the ending (which seems inevitable). If I don't write to an obvious conclusion, readers ask for more chapters.

I have found it difficult to write more than a couple of chapters because I found my writing and storylines become redundant and boring, even to write them. I am amazed at the authors who write 10,20,30, or more chapters.

I was wondering what other authors do. How do you end your stories? Should I even worry about it? My thoughts in the past have been, "It is what it is," and go on to the next story.

I feel the thing that helps me the most with this is the realization that no matter how much of the story you tell, you are still only telling part of the story.
Some of my stories; Living up to the Legacy, for example, are very open ended by design. Others, like Mary Janes which begins and ends with the MC tripping over the same pair of shoes in different circumstances, try to tie up the story with a nice neat bow.

Both work, and both have left readers asking for more. As an author, it's up to us to set the boundaries on how much of the story we want to tell.

One thing I have done with some stories is to expand that world into other stories reusing the characters. I've found it kind of fun to a little word building that way, and I can revisit some favorite characters and places without having to really expand on their original story in a series or a dedicated sequel. The story I'm working on right now is a part of my Phun with Pharaceuticals universe. I just added a reference to the sports bar from Halftime. No telling where that is going to go, yet.