There are many ways to end a story. The audience expects a satisfactory, well-rounded ending from the writer. It should make sense and do justice to the character arc. Consider the following strategies to land the perfect ending for your story.
- The surprise ending
This kind of ending involves a plot twist. It makes your readers experience an end they didn’t see coming. It is your job, as a writer, to not only surprise your reader; but also bring a satisfactory conclusion. If your delivery is poor, it will leave your reader frustrated.
- The “coming full circle” ending
Editor Jenn Bailey perfectly explains this type of an ending. She says, “You need to come full circle. You need to end where you began. You need to take the truth your main character believed in at the beginning of the story and expose it as the lie that it is by the end. In your ending, the main character doesn’t have to get what they want, but they do have to get what they need.”
- The concrete ending
A concrete ending doesn’t leave any loose ends. It gives the audience a proper closure. It could be a happy end or a tragic one. Either way, it leaves no questions unanswered in the mind of readers.
- The ambiguous ending
Such an ending makes your reader wonder what might come next, without establishing a right or wrong answer. It’s open-ended; the interpretation is up to the reader. When you leave your ending open, you get people talking, thinking, and looking for answers.
- The unresolved ending
If you plan on writing a series of books, this one is for you. The ending of each book should be satisfying and inspire the reader to read the next one. The Harry Potter series is an example of this.
References:
https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-end-a-story/