The End

[NotWise]

A reader just left a comment on one of my old stories to the effect that it was a great story but incomplete, so he rated it 4*. It's good to have an explanation.

That story (My Sister's Wedding) is complete as far as I'm concerned. It scores well, it doesn't have a leading ending, and I have no intention of continuing it. But readers get into the story and the characters, and they want to follow their lives forward. The recent reader's comment is a common comment.

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

Are there other ways that you've succeeded in ending a story without readers demanding that it go on?

 

[MelissaBaby]

A reader just left a comment on one of my old stories to the effect that it was a great story but incomplete, so he rated it 4*. It's good to have an explanation.

That story (My Sister's Wedding) is complete as far as I'm concerned. It scores well, it doesn't have a leading ending, and I have no intention of continuing it. But readers get into the story and the characters, and they want to follow their lives forward. The recent reader's comment is a common comment.

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

Are there other ways that you've succeeded in ending a story without readers demanding that it go on?

Kill everybody.

Seriously.

 

[SimonDoom]

A reader just left a comment on one of my old stories to the effect that it was a great story but incomplete, so he rated it 4*. It's good to have an explanation.

That story (My Sister's Wedding) is complete as far as I'm concerned. It scores well, it doesn't have a leading ending, and I have no intention of continuing it. But readers get into the story and the characters, and they want to follow their lives forward. The recent reader's comment is a common comment.

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

Are there other ways that you've succeeded in ending a story without readers demanding that it go on?

No, absolutely not. I make a point of NOT doing this, and I don't care whether readers want more. I've had many requests to continue stories. I don't listen to them.

I usually do not end stories with "happily ever after" summaries or wrap ups. On the contrary, I like to end stories with a hint that further fun and mystery might be around the corner. To me, it's more aesthetically pleasing because I think life is like this. Some readers want a definitive ending. I don't give it to them. It's not something worth being concerned about.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Good point.

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

My first story ended with a bit of a cliff-hanger that got resolved in a subsequent story, which had a cliff-hanger ending that got resolved in the beginning of the next in the series, but it also ended with a cliff-hanger that led to the next, and so on. When I finally landed at what I thought was a suitable ending for the series, I received a lot of comments about the ending not being enough.

They fall in love (or serious like) with the characters and want to see them going on forever, and I'm not saying that I might not find the inspiration to write more about some of them in the future, but I don't like feeling obligated to do so.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Kill everybody.

Seriously.

Didn’t work with Game of Thrones, IIRC.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Didn’t work with Game of Thrones, IIRC.

Fair point.

And, to be honest, after 36 chapters of Mary and Alvin, and many comments pleading that I keep the series going forever, I didn't kill off everybody, just enough of them to slam the lid on the whole shebang.

Then, a month later, I wrote another story about the same characters for the Christmas contest.

Oh, well.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Kill everybody.

Seriously.

I ended one of mine with the discovery of the protagonist's frozen corpse, many decades after her disappearance, and I still got some comments about "is this really the end?"

 

[Bramblethorn]

Didn’t work with Game of Thrones, IIRC.

Or for Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

[HectorBidon]

Kill everybody.

Seriously.

Do you mean the characters or the reading public?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Fair point.

And, to be honest, after 36 chapters of Mary and Alvin, and many comments pleading that I keep the series going forever, I didn't kill off everybody, just enough of them to slam the lid on the whole shebang.

Then, a month later, I wrote another story about the same characters for the Christmas contest.

Oh, well.

I know the feeling. I had a very popular series running and definitively said 'this is the last' at the end of the final chapter. Yet I have received requests and wonder sometimes...

 

[gunhilltrain]

A reader just left a comment on one of my old stories to the effect that it was a great story but incomplete, so he rated it 4*. It's good to have an explanation.

That story (My Sister's Wedding) is complete as far as I'm concerned. It scores well, it doesn't have a leading ending, and I have no intention of continuing it. But readers get into the story and the characters, and they want to follow their lives forward. The recent reader's comment is a common comment.

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

Are there other ways that you've succeeded in ending a story without readers demanding that it go on?

They often want more, and there is little you can do about them. It's your work, so it's your call. I often have the opposite problem in that I don't know how to end it. If I'm lucky, I sometimes think of sequels or stories in the middle that have to be stand-alone stories. I will tell the readers at the top of the document what I'm doing.

 

[Voboy]

I almost always end standalone stories with a few open questions, though I resolve the central themes. It's what I like to read, so it's what I write.

In my chaptered piece, I signaled the ending with a note at the beginning, the blurb on the story list page, a clear resolution within the text, and a brief afterword confirming this was, indeed, the end.

I still get suggestions for further plots.

Some readers simply don't get it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Do you mean the characters or the reading public?

You would have to command, at least, the Wagner Group to do the reading public.

 

[alohadave]

I ended one of mine with the discovery of the protagonist's frozen corpse, many decades after her disappearance, and I still got some comments about "is this really the end?"

"You could write about those decades!"

 

[KeithD]

My question is, how do ya'll wrap up stories so readers don't think it should go on? I know about tying the end back to something in the beginning so there's a cyclic effect that seems to satisfy readers. I've committed whole chapters to little more than tying up potentially loose ends.

I don't. I write my stories for here just like I'd write them for the mainstream (just more graphically). I think it's true that there seem to be more readers here than in the mainstream who just want a happy ending (in every way) delivered and don't want to get more deeply involved in the story by engaging in thinking about the whys than is the case in the mainstream. But I don't cater to that.

 

[Rob_Royale]

My first story, I totally wrapped up with a neat little bow. He went that way and she went that way and they both lived happily ever after. Folks still lamented that there wouldn't be another chapter. However, that story made me realize that even though I've no plans at present to continue with characters, leaving an opening or an untied up plot line, is good for my own creativity. And it gives the readers a little hope that maybe there is a future chapter two. My story Getting Busy way written with that in mind and it allowed me a real easy way participate in the 750 Word Challenge, by using it to tie up a story line.

 

[lovecraft68]

Kill everybody.

Seriously.

TX Rad has mentioned in the past he did that in a story and still received requests for more.

 

[Trionyx]

“This needs a second chapter” is a very common complaint, one I usually ignore. After all, life doesn’t have tidy little endings, does it? On only one occasion did I write a second, follow up story only because it was in my mind all along and I wanted to tell more after the original April Fool’s surprise ended the first story.
I suggest you ignore pleas for more chapters unless you truly want to expand the story.

 

[lovecraft68]

A story is over when the author decides it is. All jokes aside as long as the characters still exist in the end people will want more.
Its flattering that people get attached, but if the author felt it was done, but now decides they have a good thing going and just keeps adding chapters to pander we're now into one of the reasons for endless series here.

The readers will continue to eat up their fav characters, reward with 5's and new readers are few and far between because after a certain length the series seems to daunting to start.

I've said before I consider myself a thrill of the kill writer. What I mean is once the conflict has come to a head(pun intended) and the characters get together for that epic first time...I lose interest. I wrap up the story with the impression this is the beginning of a long term thing and that's it. I see too many series which are little more than Chapter two, they try anal, chapter three, the neighbors jump in....now mom jumps in! Meh.

That's not to say if I have a longer story to tell I won't do a longer piece or a two parter, but again once the initial storyline has reached its peak I'd rather move on to another story then stay with the same people. I get comments on just about a daily basis of wanting more one of my stories, and it would be easy to deliver I suppose, but if I've lost interest I can't see how the story would turn out well.

 

[lovecraft68]

In taboo a common request is "Now we need another chapter where she gets pregnant."

Guess its an honor among thieves thing, but as much as I enjoy the category, the pregnancy aspect squicks me out.

 

[NotWise]

A story is over when the author decides it is.

This is common to most of the answers, and I totally agree.

I once extended a story in response to reader demands. I wouldn't do it again, but I would like to find a way to end stories when I intend to and not leave readers with separation anxiety.

 

[Euphony]

We live in a sequels culture. Readers often identify more intimately with erotic fiction characters than run of the mill Hollywood paper dolls.

Removing egos (authors creative vision v. readers/audience demands) it's better to view from a storytelling lens.

Characters are telling their story through the author. Were the reader being told directly over brunch, would they demand their companion alter their confession to best fit the listeners wants?

When I am disrespectful to my characters, they aren't shy in reminding me of consequences. I serve my characters, myself, and then any readers, in that order.

 

[Euphony]

Fair point.

And, to be honest, after 36 chapters of Mary and Alvin, and many comments pleading that I keep the series going forever, I didn't kill off everybody, just enough of them to slam the lid on the whole shebang.

Then, a month later, I wrote another story about the same characters for the Christmas contest.

Oh, well.

"We DEMAND zombies!"

 

[Djmac1031]

I made the mistake early on of pandering to the sequel demands.

Part of it was just being a newb. I wrote a story people liked, and they wanted more, so I tried to give it to them.

Two out of my first three "series" died on the vine after a couple chapters. I hadn't really plotted anything out, and just didn't know where to take them.

I do have one long running series, but it's now intentionally designed to be a serial; each new chapter another adventure between my characters.

As lovecraft68 pointed out, the readership on it has "dwindled" in that it doesn't draw in many new readers, but it still has a small but loyal audience.

Like many of you, I also tend to leave my endings open. Not because I automatically plan a sequel; often I don't.

But I told the story that needed to be told. I'm not opposed to sequels, IF I have an idea. But I'm no longer glued to them just because people ask.

I did a three part daddy / daughter incest series and at the end of the third, I wrapped it up in a nice bow and said, definitively, THE END.

So of course there were comments for more lol.

Like I said, I'm not OPPOSED to sequels. I'm currently writing one for what I was sure at the time a was a one shot story.

I'm not writing it because of reader demand, although there was of course requests.

I'm writing it because I finally had more to tell on it.

Often now, I'm placating readers somewhat by stating "this story is currently done. There might be ideas for a sequel in the future, there might not. In the meantime, use your imagination on what happens next."

 

[MajorRewrite]

I haven’t written a sequel to any of my stories, yet the most common comments are “WrITe moRe PleAsE” and “TeLL uS WhaT haPpens NEXT”.

I‘m certain that if I end my next story with “THE END. SERIOUSLY THAT’S IT. END OF THE STORY”, readers would still ask for a sequel.

We all should definitely take it as a compliment.