Sticking The Landing

[MelissaBaby]

I have always thought that, other than your opening, the last lines of a story are the most important. They are the final impression your story leaves on the readers.

When I believe I've ended a story just right, I think of it as "sticking the landing."

Please share some examples of endings, just the last line or two, when you felt like you really nailed it. (And if you spoil your own story, well, that's on you.)

Here are a few of mine:

A gust of wind blew through the nearby trees, shaking loose a shower of rainwater. As the drops pattered against the ground, Alvin imagined it was the sound of departing footsteps. (Mary and Alvin Ch.6)

Mary watched the fire. As its sparks rose into the sky, she imagined they did not fade and die, but rose and became stars. (Mary and Alvin Ch.35)

I sat for a long time and watched, as the sun sparkled through the trees and then rose to illuminate the houses and the cars, the lawns and the flowerbeds, and the world filled with color. (My Fall and Rise Ch.13)

"No, Rhonda said, shaking her head, "We're all good, babe."

Clover smiled, and said, as she chewed her toast, "We ain't just good, we're the fucking Gold Dollar girls." (The Gold Dollar Girls)

"Come in, s'il vou plaît. I will make you some tea and rub you with a warm towel and you will tell me all about yourself..." (The Adventures of Ranger Ramona Ch 2)

 

[AlinaX]

Here are a couple I like:

From Ship's Whore:

Fresh bread! Raspberry jam! More satisfying than any other meal - ever! Afterwards I mounted her and rode her cock until it erupted inside me. "I could do this all day," I whispered.

Alice laughed. "Wait till night falls. Then there really is nothing else to do..."

From Sex Booth:

"I need to be fucked," I told her. "Long and hard. Do you think you can do that?"

Not waiting for an answer, I sauntered through to the bedroom and assumed the pose. I wondered what would happen for real if we went too far. Would we be taken before a magistrate and whipped?

Because maybe, just maybe, it would be worth it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Here are a couple I like:

From Ship's Whore:

From Sex Booth:

I like the way both excerpts entice the reader to come back for more.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

From My Chevy Van:

As I pulled out of the fueling plaza, I looked around to see if anyone needed a ride. “Yeah, right, Sam,” I chided myself as I headed down the road to the cafe, the bright sun beating mercilessly down, “There are women everywhere wanting to get in your van.”

I chuckled at myself and, as I headed for the restaurant, vowed to find someone to spend the rest of my life with who would hold me and love me as I would hold her and love her once I settled into my new job. Until then, I’ll have the memories of my time with Glory to keep me going …

 

[holliday1960]

When I awoke the next morning, Michael was gone. In place of him, on the pillow next to me, was a fresh, red rose and a note that said, 'There are two times I will always remember; the time I spent with you and the time I spent without you. 'Love is so short, forgetting so long'. I love you. Michael.' - Love Letters in the Sand

He kissed me once, goodbye, and he walked away. I never saw him again, except when I drive past some landmark that reminds me... then, I see his face, and I remember what never happened. - Down Mexico Way
The old man grunted again. "That's fine, son. Just fine. You bring Angie along to dinner. I want to meet the next Mrs. Reed." - The Heart of a Woman

 

[MelissaBaby]

I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.

You wrote The Bell Jar?

 

[MelissaBaby]

I see his face, and I remember what never happened. - Down Mexico Way

Beautiful turn of phrase.

 

[NoTalentHack]

This is one I really struggle with. I think I’ve written like four ending passages that I’ve been super happy with, and the rest all feel like either a high school essay summary or a “and they all lived happily/sadly ever after.”

I think part of the problem, especially in LW, is that they want everything explicitly spelled out. “But what did he do with the rest of his life? Did he get married again? Was she punished?” Which, I get, but…

The best one I’ve done, I think, was in The Last Snowfall, but that’s a real downer. It’s short but comes with a long CW disclaimer for a reason, so I’d rather not post it here.

 

[holliday1960]

Beautiful turn of phrase.

Thanks MB, that's quite a compliment coming from you. I loved your writing style in Rise and Fall. Binge-read it and loved every word.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Of course not, but I can't pass up a great opportunity for sarcasm.

Yes, I imagine impulse control is a bit of a struggle for you.

 

[PeytonMirabelle]

I like how I ended My Own Worst Enemy.
(Is it egotistical to say that? Oh well, that's my one moment for the day.)

He carried me in, placed me on my bed, and kissed me some more. As we fumbled at our clothes, I smiled to myself. It was too early for either of us to say the words.

But I already knew.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I like how I ended My Own Worst Enemy.
(Is it egotistical to say that? Oh well, that's my one moment for the day.)

I don't think it's egotistical. You should enjoy your own writing, and be proud of it. And that is a very fine ending.

 

[MrPixel]

I've been looking back through my stories looking for the kind of ending you're talking about, but it seems my style is a slow fade to black rather than a pithy bon mot. Here's the ending from Off Campus V, currently in the throes of final polishing:

Yet when Thad backs away from the kiss and prepares to enter her, Amanda turns her head to smile at me with the deepest love in her eyes. Yes, I know that look; I now have another totally devoted lover in the harem. Eight. Officially. But who's keeping tabs?

Oh, yeah. My wife.

"(Sweetheart? Steven? Why do you keep doing this? You're not getting any younger, you know.)"

"(I know.)"

 

[MelissaBaby]

Thanks MB, that's quite a compliment coming from you. I loved your writing style in Rise and Fall. Binge-read it and loved every word.

Thank you. I appreciate that very much.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've been looking back through my stories looking for the kind of ending you're talking about, but it seems my style is a slow fade to black rather than a pithy bon mot. Here's the ending from Off Campus V, currently in the throes of final polishing:

From the title, I assume that is a chapter in a series. I find that there is definitely a difference in how I've ended chapters, vs stand alone or concluding installments of a series. In individual chapters, each ending is also a transition, so your "slow fade" approach is very fitting in that context.

 

[Lifestyle66]

"If you want me on my knees looking up as you fuck my mouth, it needs to be in the kitchen or living room where we have an audience." She said it so coolly, as if she was planning her day. "And would you want my lips closed around it, so I don't lose any? Or do you prefer I open my mouth so you can see it shoot in?" Then she took a sip of her cognac, staring seductively at me.

I thought, 'My God, her husband's a lucky guy!'
*****
From "Lifestyle Ch.13 - Single Swingers"


================


After our busy day, I finally get to watch my SciFi series.

Then I realized: ‘Wait! I’m one of her toys she tested, then set aside! I chuckled to myself, but I guess I’m a keeper.
*****
From the ending of my 750-word story to post next month.

 

[SomaSlave]

I try to make the last line of my stories memorable, with a hint to the MC's development, and sometimes, providing a twist to the story. I suspect those are often too subtle, but I like being subtle. Here are a few of my favorite endings:


"The cock doesn't lie." Soma's Journey Ch. 03: The Cock Doesn't Lie


Turning toward the bathroom, I smiled: if I could bring happiness to others, that would be good enough for me. It would have to be. The Pleasure Giver Chronicles Ch.06

He pulled me to him and melted me with his stare. "It's just beginning, Galatea." And he gave me the most passionate kiss of the day. The intensity and pressure of his lips on mine caught me by surprise. I clung to him, not wanting the moment to end. But end it did, as we reluctantly separated.
But before he released me, he whispered the four words that changed me forever: "It's not the lingerie." The Shopping Spree Pt.06


And my all time favorite:
"Mrs. King," I said, "I know all that, and I don't hate you, but you have no idea how that felt. You have no idea what sort of agony I went through."
She walked out the door, but as she closed it, I heard her say softly, "Not yet." The Pleasure Giver Chronicles Ch.05

 

[MelissaBaby]

"If you want me on my knees looking up as you fuck my mouth, it needs to be in the kitchen or living room where we have an audience." She said it so coolly, as if she was planning her day. "And would you want my lips closed around it, so I don't lose any? Or do you prefer I open my mouth so you can see it shoot in?" Then she took a sip of her cognac, staring seductively at me.

I thought, 'My God, her husband's a lucky guy!'
*****
From "Lifestyle Ch.13 - Single Swingers"

I'm sure you got comments demanding you hurry up and write Chapter 14, so they could learn the answer.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Having the next story in mind while finishing the current one has allowed me to end stories with "landings" that transition the reader directly into the next one:

Handing the package to Bobby, Patty looked at him and said, "JR will be sixteen in a couple of months and I know that you have been torn between your devotion to our history with our car and your desire to give it to JR as your father gave it to you. Nothing will take our memories and history away buster, because they are seared into our very beings."

As Bobby finally extracted the spare key for the Corvair that he had given to Patty on the day she passed her driving test, Patty said to him, "Give it to him Bobby. Give him his daddy's car." - "His Daddy's Car"

That story transitions to the next where the son is grown but still has that same car. It ends with::

"No worries," Rockie said. "I'm usually a day early for birthdays and stuff. How is everything?"

"Not too good right now," Katie told them. "I just shot a man." - "Change"

Which transitions to the next one where a woman has just prevented a mass shooting in a busy mall. It ends with:

"So, what do you think of Cile?" Tyler asked his cousin as they walked.

"She's beautiful and intriguing, without question..."

"I sense a 'but' coming," Tyler said.

"Not necessarily a 'but'. I'm just curious if she always has that slight glow around her?" - "Searching"

Which transitions to the next one, "Elements", and so on...

The reader comments are totally favorable to the endings and some of my most common comments relate to them wanting more.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The reader comments are totally favorable to the endings and some of my most common comments relate to them wanting more.

When that's the case, you know for sure that you stuck the landing.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Generally I find the ending more important than the opening, as those last lines can have the greatest impact on the reader.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Generally I find the ending more important than the opening, as those last lines can have the greatest impact on the reader.

A good first line invites readers into the story, a good last line coaxes them to come back for more. I never transitioned a story from concept to recorded word until I know how it ends, and I have, several times, written the final lines first.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I'm sure you got comments demanding you hurry up and write Chapter 14, so they could learn the answer.

That ending scene was the wife talking to a guy in an airport bar, one she had met at the bar previously and later found him at a swinger party.

That's the wife's personality throughout the series: She enjoys flirting, teasing, and controlling men. It's a sporting event to her.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Changed my mind about this post. The answer I was looking for is obvious.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

A good first line invites readers into the story, a good last line coaxes them to come back for more. I never transitioned a story from concept to recorded word until I know how it ends, and I have, several times, written the final lines first.

I think I have put a lot more effort into openings as I feel they are harder to write. Endings usually flow naturally from the story and I have always found it much easier to write them.

Here's my latest opening that took some time for me to word it the way I wanted, yet it still left me unsatisfied.

Ah, the starry night...

For centuries it had been a source of mystique and awe, a symbol of unknown and questions unanswered. Yet, at the same time, it had also been an inspiration for romance and love. Did it play a role in the first human romance on this earth? Were those two hearts holding their hands and whispering words of love, while the stars, silent as ever, were sharing their subtle light and smiling down on that first couple? Millennia went by, but the fascination with the night's sky never stopped. How many hearts had told their most intimate secrets gazing at its magnificence? Kings and queens, noble men and women, peasants and workers had found such beauty and power in the starry night. Van Gogh had painted it from the window of his asylum in 1889, wondering, and seeking universe only knows what... and even though the view in southern France, at the end of 19th century, was quite different from the one Diana and Jenny had before their eyes, the starry night they were looking at was just as mesmerizing...