Endings

To me, an ending should flow naturally, that is, organically from the story itself. Perhaps the problem you're having is one of cohesion. Pay attention to where things are going, where does it lead? What does the foreshadowing suggest?

To me, an ending (and I'm a short story writer, so I think this is what you're asking) must represent in summation what the entire story is building towards. Not that the ending should itself be a summary of events, but that it should succinctly say what you've been leading to the whole time.

Funny how different we all are -- I begin by imagining the dramatic ending, and weave the story to reach it. So I always know where I'm going before I start off. The route I take to get there is up to me.

-Derek

Your ending should follow the climax and it ties up loose ends. The climax should be the point where the main character achieves or fails to achieve their goal. Their goal is something that you should have in your story if you already have a beginning or an end. The goal can be as complex as saving the galaxy or getting a sandwich.

I think you need to go through your story and find out the goal that your main character has, and then put them in a situation where they will either get it or not. This is why people say that it should come naturally from the flow of the story.

What is the goal of your character?

I almost always know my eendings. They're the most important part of the story, and ultimately can make or break it, IMHO. The ending should suit the story, but it should also leave the reader with the feeling you really want to instill. That feeling can be anything but confusion. Readers don't really like confusion.

The Bawlin Sox said:

I’ve been writing short stories for a while but only rarely can I create an ending. When I do, it’s pure chance. So, I wondered, are there any guidelines to follow?

Thank you

Sox

Click to expand...

It should bring a satisfying conclusion to the conflict(s) in your story. Satisfying means it answers the questions in a plausible way -- is the outcome something these characters would really do? Does it come about because of the actions or circumstances of the characters, and not because of chance or coincidence?

"Satisfying" doesn't mean it has to be happy. I seldom write upbeat endings for my stories/novels. But I always want the ending to be satisfying for the reader.

I'd also like to add that if you're having a hard time understanding how your conflicts should resolve, you may either have no real conflict in your story, or a conflict that is not clearly enough defined.

Most stories have the protag trying to achieve something, which is the bulk of the story. It could be a thing, a sense of being, an emotional state, trying to prevent something, some kind of goal they're actively trying to accomplish (or keep from happening, or avoiding). The resolution of that is your ending. So you can try thinking about what your protag is trying to do in your story and how that is resolved.

If you find yourself just writing and exploring a character and what they do, you might try looking at the beginnings of your stories to see what "the point" of them is. What is the story about? If you can sum it up in one or two sentences, you can usually get a good sense of what the ending is, as that's usually what the point of the story is.

You should definitely know the ending to your short story- maybe even right at the beginning. You need to be so focused with a short story otherwise it's just boring.

I never know the nding in advance, and don't want to know. But I believe the ending is always inherent in the opening. The opening of a story asks a question and/or poses a problem. The ending answers the question and/or solves the problem.

Write a proper opening, and you've essentially already written the ending, even if you don't have a clue how the story will end.