Today is my last post about the drafting process, though not the last post in this series! Next week, there will be a writing contest, but it will only stay open through Monday night. I wanted to let you know now so that you’ll remember to check the blog next Monday.
Since it wasn’t that long ago that we published a number of posts about writing endings, I’ll drop links to those below rather than try to write something fresh about the technique for crafting a strong end to your story:
Writing the Final Battle by Shan
The Five Step Finale and Final Image by Jill
The Denouement: Ending Your Story by Shan
The first professional feedback I ever received was about my story’s ending.
That I even received the critical feedback seems miraculous to me, considering I had printed out my 90-page manuscript on purple paper (so I would stand out, obviously!) and mailed the whole thing to a publishing house. I can’t believe anybody even bothered reading any of it, let alone making it to the end and replying thoughtfully to me.
Their criticism of the ending was that I didn’t really have one. The story just kinda wandered on until it stopped. I’ve improved greatly from that first complete story, but despite having studied story structure for years and constantly consuming stories, I never get the ending right on my first pass.
So, what’s important when you’re writing the first draft of your ending? Especially the first draft of the first ending of your first novel, which I know is where many of you are.
Write an ending.
Maybe you don’t know how the story should end, especially since you know it should feel epic and exciting, and you just don’t know what’s epic and exciting enough. So you’re staring at the blinking cursor hoping the right ending is going to come to you any minute now.
This is often the part of the process where young writer Stephanie would put her brakes on. I would hem and haw, and then resolve to go back to the early part of the book and focus on making the book “perfect.” I told myself once I’d done that, the right ending would be obvious. (My version of making something “perfect” often involved just rewriting the whole thing.)
But writing an ending is definitely better than no ending. You won’t really know if you got the beginning right until you’ve figured out the end!
If you’re feeling lost on your ending, here are some questions to get you thinking:
- What does it look like for your main character to achieve their goal? What would it look like for them to NOT achieve their goal?
- Is it more satisfying to tell a story where they get what they need but not necessarily what they want? For example, your character might need unconditional love but want to take over the kingdom. Should they get both, or should they discover that when they get what they truly need, they can survive just fine without what they wanted?
- What keeps my main character from walking away? What’s at stake? What happens if the antagonist “wins”?
- What makes the reader worry during your ending? Your readers want to worry about your characters and think they may not get what they need or be able to outsmart the competition.
- Should your main character sacrifice something? Maybe they sacrifice what they want to get what they need. Or they sacrifice what they want so that someone they love can get what they need.
Hopefully these questions can at least give you some ideas for writing an ending. Please keep in mind:
Great endings happen in edits.
I don’t know what your favorite book or movie is, but I’m betting you love the ending.
I’m also betting that the ending you love is not the original ending the author wrote. There might have been pieces of the finished ending in that original version, but I bet that twist/bit of humor/snappy quote either wasn’t there at all or didn’t yet shine because of other story elements that were still broken.
As you’re writing the first draft of your ending, keep in mind that great endings happen in edits. The writing quote that has always resonated with me most is Michael Crichton’s famous:
“Books aren’t written—they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”
If you don’t know your ending now, don’t panic. Remember it may take 7+ rewrites to find it!
What do you struggle with most in writing, the beginning, middle, or end?
My WIP first came to me as an ending, so I’ve been working backwards to create the story that leads up to it and gives it meaning.
That’s so interesting, Michaella. I’ve heard of that happening, but I’ve never experienced it for myself!
Love this! Middles are usually the hardest for me. Having to figure out all the things that need to happen between the beginning and the ending. XD
I hear that. It just feels like there are so many options!
Oooh, purple paper, i like that! Remember in Legally Blonde where the paper is scented and she said, “It adds a little something. Don’t you think?” That’s me! I wish pretties were allowed 🙂
I haven’t gotten to the end enough to know much, but someday….
Yes, I definitely had an Elle moment!
I struggle most with the middle. The beginning (most of the time) comes easily as does the end. But I struggle to connect the two.
P. S. My favorite ending will always be Princess Bride. Best movie ever.
SUCH a great movie!
Thanks for this post, Stephanie! I think that I struggle the most with the middle. I usually have a climax and a beginning in mind when I write my roughy draft, but middles are hard for me because that’s when I have to draw out the character, which is difficult. I love writing endings because of the sense of completeness they give to the story. I also love making twists so that my ending is not what people who are reading my book would at all expect.
Do you enjoy writing endings more now that you are a published author? What do you think is the hardest part of writing endings for you?
With each book I write, I feel I understand endings and my particular shortcomings a bit better. I think what’s tough for me is pulling everything together in a fulfilling yet surprising way. That balance of surprise and inevitability is a real struggle. I want to write endings that make sense, of course, but not where the reader is like, “Gee, I saw that coming from page one!”
I know how you feel!
I loved this post. I’m actually finally approaching the ending of my draft (after over two years!) and I’m so excited. This post got me even more hyped. I set some deadlines for myself, and so far I’m doing pretty good with them. I think I have a pretty good idea of how I want to craft the end, but I guess we’ll see just how good that idea is when it comes time to write it. I know I’ll probably have lots of repairs to make in the long run, but for now, I’m just so thrilled about how far I’ve come and how close I am.
Wow! Great job, Em Elizabeth, for sticking with your draft for two years! That is so amazing that you never gave up and kept working on it for that long! I’m sending loads of virtual high-fives to you!
That’s wonderful, Em! Way to stick with it!
Aww. Thanks guys. Virtual high fives reciprocated Adi. 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
Endings are special things. They have the power to make me be happy or scream an throw the book at the wall. Still, endings are one of the best parts of books, in my opinion.
Last year, I had made a goal to finish my first draft by the end of the year. By December I was still in the middle of my story, so I had a lot of work to do. I finished the the story with 1 hour to spare on New Year’s Eve. I was really worried that (because of my rush) the ending would be nothing like I wanted it to be. The ending on my story was actually really fun to write, but I still have a lot I need to fix about it.
Yes, a bad ending can ruin a great book for us, can’t it?
I’m amazed you pushed through and finished your draft in December! That’s a hard month to write.
Wow. Sounds like an awesome way to end a year. Very appropriate timing. Congratulations!
I’m in the middle of the middle right now, and as far as I can tell that is the hardest part for me. Just like a lot of you have said, connecting your epic beginning and ending is hard!
It really is. Be patient with yourself, Camille!
I always struggle with endings, and this is in perfect time because I just finished plotting a project and I was worried about the ending, but for now I think it works! Thank you so much.
With this Camp NaNo, I’ve come to my first ever ending… and my brain has put on the brakes. I have no doubt this is because I don’t have enough knowledge about what’s going on – so this post and the links have been super thought-provoking and helpful!