Endings?

[loveablepet2007]

I've got a quick question for short-story and series writers: what's the best way to do endings?

Do you prefer to end your stories with a witty comment, an epilouge or author's note, or... um... something else?

[Tdyans]

I don't think there's one "best way" to end a story. It depends largely on the story itself just how it should be ended.

I'll have to think about it and see if I come up with some pattern in the way I end things, but like beginnings, I think it's just kind of difficult to say, "This is the way to end a story..."

[calvinseviltwin]

I find it's fun to keep the reader guessing... i.e.
"there are some things not even the best decective to figure out"-More From the Case Files of Dark Night


It ends it, but it keeps you wanting more

[sollunaestrella]

It depends. With most of my articles, I try to sum up most of what I've said, but in stories, it's really difficult. Sometimes, but not often, I use cliffhangers, sometimes twists, sometimes just where it naturally ends without trying to make an ending (as in my Christmas story which has not been published, but is posted on the Work Reviews board for some reviews, etc.). It really depends. The hardest parts for me, normally, are the beginnings and the endings--not so much the beginnings, though, because often the inspiration I'll get is not the story, but an opening line to tinker with. Anyway, I guess I've blabbered on enough now... ;D

[peachifruit]

Normally, I'll end my stories with a comment about Magnolia needing a vacation or something of the like. Of course, it's always nice to have a different ending each time--just so that your trend of endings, so to speak, won't get worn out.

[Tdyans]

I looked back over all of my stories and series and here are some of the different ways that I've ended them:

A last line or two that somehow ties everything together (perhaps it explains the title or something else that happened earlier in the story or it might even provide a new twist.)

A line of dialogue (which usually does about the same thing as the last line of narrative that I described above.)

An open-ended ending.

And finally, I don't really know how to describe this ending except as "panning out." You know how some movies end by focusing first on the main characters or something else like that and then the camera slowly moves out to a more panoramic view? That's kind of how I think of several of my endings if that makes any sense.

Some of my stories have author's notes, but I don't consider that to be part of the ending of the story really-- you shouldn't use an author's note (in my opinion) to tie up your plot. By then, your "story" should already be over.

Like I said, I don't consider any one of these methods to be the "best" way to end a story-- they were each the best way to end the particular stories that they were attached to, though, so it just depends on the story itself.

[calvinseviltwin]

It's completely up to the author to decide. I'm pretty sure I like to let the reader choose what happens next in a dark night story, so i like to leave the reader hanging.

[loveablepet2007]

Thanks for your advice, everyone! I'm going to experiment with your suggestions to see what works best with my style of writing.

[calvinseviltwin]

well then, good luck!

[platinumgirl07]

I haven't been published in the Times with my series yet, but I'm writting it now. I find it's more fun to end series' chapters with something to leave the reader thinking. Something like:

'And the little Shoyru was left behind in the blinding blizzard, near death until the most unlikely of persons came to rescue you her.'

[Tdyans]

Yes, it's good (and fun) to put cliffhangers at the end of series parts... although sometimes you get angry neomails from frustrated readers, heh.

[L]

I like to end all my pieces with an author's note at the end, thanking folks for reading and inviting them to Neomail me.

But as to the end of the story itself, like Tracy said, there are infinate possiblities. It's hard to teach this particular point- sometimes you just know if you add more, it will actually take away from the piece instead of adding to it. Sometimes the events in the story have just come to their logical conclusion, and that's that. Sometimes you'll want to have a little piece that illustrates the moral of the story, or a bit of dialogue that gives a parting message. Just trust your writer's instinct, and go with what flows well.

[calvinseviltwin]

IMO Cliffhangers work best in series... thne you get a week's commerical.

In other words write a series like it's a TV show and stick some commericals in it ;D

[Lappi]

Happy, sad, or neutral. Those are the three routes to go with an ending... most go with neutral. It's not terribly sad, it does have some good parts, but... yeah...