A lot depends on the ending of a story. The ending needs to be neat and logical in order to justify the rest of the story. The ending needs to be well tied to the plot in such a way that it is capable of making that one last impression on readers. It should be able to deliver that final blow. Exactly how the ending of a story should be depends on the narrative, the plot and character development, the tone and style and the genre of your writing. But here are a few basic rules to keep in mind while you deliver that one last masterstroke.
1. Do not get bored
After writing an entire story (especially a novel or a Dostoevsky length story) there is the chance that you might lose track of the plot, or your interest in it might be waning. Do not do that. Do not focus on the completion and not the ending. You readers sat through the entire book and the least they deserve is a good ending.
2. Fill in all the gaps
The ending is your chance to tie up all those lose ends and fill in the gaps in your story. All the questions that are raised throughout the story needs to be given a closure. Remember a good ending is about a satisfying closure than a final resolution.
3. Connect with the rest of the story
A good ending will always be connected to the rest of the story intimately. A good ending will also try and use certain elements from the beginning and middle of the story. That way it gets intrinsically weaved into the rest of the plot.
4. Timing
It is essential to know when to end your story. An ending that is too late or too early will leave your readers unsatisfied. The right time obviously will depend on your story. Here’s an easy way to figure out the right time- ask yourself what is the main conflict of your story and then keep on writing till the conflict gets a gratifying closure. This is of course not a hard and fast rule. But you can try it out if you feel you are stuck at any point of time.
5. The role of the protagonist
The ending of a story is usually carried out by a protagonist. By carried out, it does not mean that the protagonist needs to perform all the actions towards the ending of the story. The protagonist needs to be the catalyst for the ending though.
6. Re-read
Read and re-read the rest of your story several times to figure out the right ending. The more you will read the story, the more you will be able to use those tiny little details from the rest of the story to tie-up your ending.
7. Keep the suspense
As important it is to provide closure to the story through the ending, a good ending should leave your readers pondering over the fate of the characters, even after they are done with your story. Hence it is imperative for a good writer to give their readers that chance to think. That is exactly why a good ending should be a closure and not a resolution.
Image credit: natalie on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Abhinanda Banerjee is a full-time freelance writer and stage actor. She’s an avid reader, culinary enthusiast, and lover of everything about the sixties.