Ending a Long Story—Reality vs. Wish List

[Guest]

Hello all-

I just posted the end of a novel-length tale (the beginning is here: http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=467983) titled Sexual Immersion, in the mind-control section. This thread comes up in response to the early feedback I'm getting on the ending.

The story is thirty-six chapters, so it's a fairly long journey for anyone reading to the end. In voting, each section currently rates anywhere from a 4.92 - 4.79 (and that includes some jerk who consistently voted it a "1"). The story has some real admirers, some less than admirers, etc. as all stories do.

So far the responses to the ending are "More!" in some form or another. Some believe the tale got cut off too quickly, some just seem to want to keep reading, one thinks the ending is fine, but they'd love a sequel (that one is essentially where I feel the ending is).

My question/issue is in trying to get a feel for whether the story does, indeed, end in a "wrong" way, or whether it's more that readers are mostly greedy and just want more because they want more. I could look at the responses as, "Hey, it's great that the appetite is there", or, "Damn, maybe I blew the ending, even though it seems right to me".

Obviously it's impossible for anyone to give an opinion on the specifics without reading the entire tale. I do want to learn more for future projects, though. I think that some of the feedback suggests a lack of understanding about the time and energy that goes into writing a long story like that—one reader said something about how I can obviously crank this stuff out, not getting that it took three years to write and edit the tale, even if it did all get posted in a month's time.

Anyway, just wondering if other writers here have had a similar experience, and any advice on sifting through the feedback winds.

 

[sr71plt]

A reader's opinion of the wrong way to end your story should only influence what you do if you want it to. It's your story; end it as you please. They want another ending, let them write their own story. The flip side is that they have every right to say what they would have preferred happen in a story.

The request for "more" most often is a compliment on your writing--and a signal that you ended it at a good time/place.

 

[Darkniciad]

I'm with SR71. The requests for more are most likely an indication that you ended it right where it should, and people are hoping there's a whole new story to tell.

Readers tend to lean toward "When's the next chapter" or "I hated the ending" when you actually blow it *laugh*

Sounds like you done it just right to me

 

[Domwoolf]

endings

Having written several longish stories Billion Dollar Slaves being the longest, I too find ending them to be the hardest thing to accomplish to everyones satisfaction, including my own. If you should find a workable solution let me know too.

 

[sr71plt]

Having written several longish stories Billion Dollar Slaves being the longest, I too find ending them to be the hardest thing to accomplish to everyones satisfaction, including my own. If you should find a workable solution let me know too.

Not sharing them would guaranty a unified view of them. I doubt it's possible with a larger readership than that.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I ended a lengthy story and had requests for more more more more!!!! from not only readers, but the person who read it prior to publication. I came up with some more plot, wrote a few more chapters, and lost all interest in the story. I haven't managed to finish it and I don't, quite frankly, care to.

The story ended when the plot arc was resolved. My interest was in the dynamics of the characters.

The "more!" tells me, these days, that people loved the story and want to read more of it, not that the story is unfinished. A story has its own natural beginning and its own natural ending. Yes, further development of characters and plot are always possible. Can you visit them in future chapters or a sequel? Yes, you can. That should entirely depend on your interest in the story itself. If you have new projects that you'd prefer to spend your time with, write The End to a finished story and move on. A reader can get more by re-reading a loved story (do you not do this yourself?) or, just as happily, a reader can ger "more" by getting a new story. A story is only as good as the author's enjoyment of writing the story. So, if your authorly gut says no more chapters or no sequel, then listen to it. Would that the creators of the Police Academy franchise had listened to that niggling "don't go there!" after the first sequel. Steve Guttenburg might still have a career somewhere.

TL;DR: Without having read your story: you didn't end your story wrong; they just really liked it. Take it to mean you ended your story right, otherwise you would have had signs of dissatisfaction.