An epic clash vs a simply, satisfying event?

I genuinely lack any preference. For example, I'm currently wavering between four possible endings for my WIP.

The original version involved the protagonist forcing the antagonist into a human body and then hunting him down in the wilds. That one ended with an arrow in the antagonist's back. Not flashy at all.

The first alternate ending I rewrote had them making a deal. For very good reasons. Neither died, so the conflict wasn't strictly resolved, but they parted and agreed to leave each other alone.

Another alternate ending is similar to the original, except that there's a sorcerous duel and in the end the protagonist manages to lure a dreambeast to finish off the antagonist.

The third potential ending maintains what was in the second and mixes things up a bit with a completely unexpected but perfectly reasonable betrayal.

One of my favorite stories is "Flowers for Algernon." The ending is deeply satisfying, though it essentially involves only one person. And a mouse.

Dale

Like Sp, I genuinely lack a preference. It really depends on the story itself. I've read huge, epic fantasy stuff with huge, epic endings and been satisfied. Then I've read relatively quiet endings, and been equally satisfied. Like you hear so many times with regard to writing--as long as it works.

kct webber said:

Like you hear so many times with regard to writing--as long as it works.

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Yes. You want your ending the match the tone of the rest of the book, and also to leave your reader satisfied.

Don't lead up to the promise of an epic, balls-out battle between good and evil, and then have the dispute settled over a simple game of chess. Likewise, low scale stories shouldn't suddenly erupt into chaos and bloodshed without good reason.

I don't care - as long as it's the right ending for that particular book.

WinterDusk14 said:

The thought came to me when I just finished rereading Steven Erikson's Memories of Ice (that has a lot of epic confrontations and drama) and Neil Gaiman's American Gods (*spoilers for the book!* where the war between the new and old gods ended with a few words by Shadow, personally that was damn good, just a little off since I expected a little more.)

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It's been a while since I read American Gods, but if I remember correctly, didn't the epic part build up to the quiet ending? That is, the big clash came first and then there was the bit with Shadow. (I'm trying to write this w/o giving away the ending!!) And you are right, it is a great book.

A quiet ending can have a really big impact just as a flashy ending can be overwrought and not do the book justice at all.

Thoughout a good book, the author is making promises to the reader about how everything's going to turn out. Whether it's a big epic ending or a game of chess or just a conversation--the ending is getting promised from page one. I'm completely satisfied as a reader as long as the ending is what the author has been promising me. Suddenly switching the ending for whatever reason (lying to me) is the surest way to get on my "ban and badmouth" list.

As long as I'm enjoying the story and get the ending I've been promising and wanting, I'm completely happy.

As a writer, I generally don't write the ending until I've reread the book with a reader's eye to see what I've been promising them that I hadn't consciously realized and either tweak the book to the ending I want or write the ending that the book has promised. I refuse to consciously do to others what I hate having done to me.

I don't really seem to have a preference either. Whatever works best for the story is what I would prefer. I'm more used to big dramatic endings rather than quiet ones, but if the story calls for a quiet ending, I'd rather read that than a big dramatic ending forced into a quiet story just to try to liven it up!

Granted, I read and write fantasy where there tend to be big dramatic endings, so...*shrug.*

Oh! But when there's a big dramatic ending I do prefer for there to be a quiet denouement to finish things up. I hate when there's a big bang and then it's over. Too abrupt. Grr. I like to be EASED toward the very end. A sort of combination of loud and quiet.

So I guess I'm a fence-sitter yet again.

CATION BLATENT SPOILER

one of the best endings i have seen in so long was how Timothy Zanth ended the Star Wars cycle.
through the whole thing, the heir to the Emperor Grand Admiral Thrawn has a body guard of an unknown alien race called Noghri. in the story the Noghri are in servitude to the empire because the empire saved their race. after Leia exposes their deception they decide to betray the empire. but it dosen't seem that Ruhk the body guard knows about the deception meanwhile a massive battle is forming between the empire and the new republic (the rebellion.) so the ending is going to be a toss up, if the battle happens, then the empire will win, if Ruhk has gotten the news, then Thrawn will be dead before he can blink.
in the end, Ruhk had gotten the news, but was waiting for a good moment to kill. in the middle of the battle a report comes in that a dozen Noghri are attacking the cloning facilitys of the empire. Captian Pellon on Thrawns ship is reading out the report, when he gets to the part of the Noghri helping the attack, pulles out his blaster, and shoots Ruhk. but when he goes to tell Thrawn "i told you so" sees that Thrawn has a knife in his chest. Thrawn says That it was so artisticly done and dies
perfect end, an epic battle and a subtle move

Nivarion said:

CATION BLATENT SPOILER

one of the best endings i have seen in so long was how Timothy Zanth ended the Star Wars cycle.
through the whole thing, the heir to the Emperor Grand Admiral Thrawn has a body guard of an unknown alien race called Noghri. in the story the Noghri are in servitude to the empire because the empire saved their race. after Leia exposes their deception they decide to betray the empire. but it dosen't seem that Ruhk the body guard knows about the deception meanwhile a massive battle is forming between the empire and the new republic (the rebellion.) so the ending is going to be a toss up, if the battle happens, then the empire will win, if Ruhk has gotten the news, then Thrawn will be dead before he can blink.
in the end, Ruhk had gotten the news, but was waiting for a good moment to kill. in the middle of the battle a report comes in that a dozen Noghri are attacking the cloning facilitys of the empire. Captian Pellon on Thrawns ship is reading out the report, when he gets to the part of the Noghri helping the attack, pulles out his blaster, and shoots Ruhk. but when he goes to tell Thrawn "i told you so" sees that Thrawn has a knife in his chest. Thrawn says That it was so artisticly done and dies
perfect end, an epic battle and a subtle move

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Any climax with a blaster is okay with me.