Endings?

sunandshadow · Apr 19, 2011

What sort of plot event do you all usually end your erotic novels or novellas with? Villain killed or defeated? Secret revealed? Misunderstanding resolved? Proposal or wedding or birth of a baby? Discovery which cures a plague or improves life for everyone?

I often have difficulty thinking of endings for my stories, or even remembering endings of books I've read. I think if I had some general categories or a list of example endings in my head that would make it easier to envision endings for my own stories.

DiloKeith · Apr 19, 2011

This is a difficult question because the end depends on the rest - villains, weddings, or whatever would flow from the story. Or am I missing something?

If the question is how big an event should be at the end, I can address that. My experience with erotica and personal preference is for closure, but not something too big. My current WIP ends with various conflicts being resolved, but it's rather low-key. My original draft ended rather abruptly, with a special moment of intimate understanding, but no significant plot elements. I extended it in order to tie up some loose ends.

In erotica, for me, it's the experiences during the story that make it enjoyable, not the plot line and conclusion. I might be in the minority on this point. Erotic romance would be entirely different.

SafetyDance · Apr 19, 2011

There's no stereotypical erotica ending. Most publishers like a happy ever after or a happy for now, but aside from that, the world's your oyster.

Yes, inspirational romance tends to finish up with a marriage/baby etc. That's not an ending, though -- that's an epilogue.

Ending is about resolving the problems your character faces. If your character doesn't have a problem, you're in trouble.

Other than that, unless you're planning to blow up the World Trade Centre, anything goes...

(Personally, I like a bit of symmetry and my actual ending paragraph often alludes to the first).

DiloKeith · Apr 19, 2011

I was recently advised to add some symmetry. At first I thought it was unnecessary, but it worked. It was just a little thing, a reference to a shopping trip that took place in the beginning, but it made a tidy ending.

VoireyLinger · Apr 19, 2011

It depends on the story. HEA or HFN are a given with erotic romances. With my erotica... anything goes. the story ends where it ends. I don't have as prescribed ending for my stories because I'm not a formulaic writer.

Ann_Mayburn · Apr 19, 2011

From a totally reader drive standpoint I like having things resolved, even in straight up erotica. That said, like the wise PP's before me stated, end the book where you feel it should end.

Helpful 'eh?

honeybaby · Apr 19, 2011

I haven't written anything longer than a triptych but I'll answer. Some of my endings are good, others suck. There's no key to it that I've been able to figure out. I don't usually have killing or villains, but in my WIP there's some shooting and one character who appears slightly villainous at first turns out to be not terribly villainous and then he is killed by a character who turns out to be more villainous than she initially appeared, or at least that's the way it's looking now. There's a subplot secret that's revealed, and maybe a denouement. But this isn't a typical erotic story.

I've ended with a surprise wedding rather Deus ex machina, but not yet wedding bells for two leading characters.

I often end with partings, little aubades. Some are very dramatic, more along the lines of an adieu than an au revoir.

If I end with the promise of more sex, that constitutes a happy ending for my characters.

I've ended with what BDSM people call "aftercare."

I've started at the end of a romance and ended at the first sexual encounter.

I've ended with no resolution, but a reversion and some ice cream.

I've ended with a soliloquy by a character mocking the writer (which many people quietly detested, but I insist upon.)

I've ended with the hero being cut to ribbons in a dream and then waking up.

Maryn · Apr 19, 2011

Right, erotica romance has different rules than straight-up erotica. Not that erotica can't have a happily ever after or a happy for now ending, but it certainly doesn't have to.

I've ended with all kinds of things, depending on the plot and characters. There's been an unplanned pregnancy, a suicide (he was a bad person, so it was okay), someone speaking at an AA meeting for the first time, a break-up because one of the players was a player and didn't realize what a treasure he had until it was too late, an incredible sexual encounter ending with sleep and the implication it would soon be repeated, a suggestion in a BDSM story that the roles were about to be reversed, the public outing of a sexual secret... gee, just whatever the story calls for, really. Including a fair amount of HFN.

Maryn, whose WIP is going to end with a huge fire

Satori1977 · Apr 19, 2011

I prefer HEA or HFN ending, even if it isn't romance. But most of all, I just like a resolved ending. Unless it is a series, and most erotica aren't, I hate, HATE cliffhanger endings. If the couple/menage/whatever break up, they all have to be happy with it, and have grown from their time together. If they are weepy or heartbroken at the end, I will not read that author again.

But other than that, I think anything goes. It just has to stay true to the story.

dangerousbill · Apr 19, 2011

sunandshadow said:
What sort of plot event do you all usually end your erotic novels or novellas with? Villain killed or defeated? Secret revealed? Misunderstanding resolved? Proposal or wedding or birth of a baby? Discovery which cures a plague or improves life for everyone?

Erotica, most of it at least, doesn't fit an established formula like, say, category romance, where you must have that HEA. The story can end in any appropriate way.

In my last novel, the FMC announces that she's decided that she'll share my MMC with 'the other woman'. Surprisingly, this is the one solution that makes everyone happy.

In the novel before that, my FMC finally caves into MMC's entreaties, and chooses not to send him back to college at the end of his year's internship. Instead, she will keep him with her for the indefinite future.

Both qualify as HFN endings, but I've seen many an erotic story that ended in horror, or darkness, or were simply unresolved.

Satori1977 · Apr 19, 2011

dangerousbill said:
Both qualify as HFN endings, but I've seen many an erotic story that ended in horror, or darkness, or were simply unresolved.

Not really directed at you Bill, but I hate this with a passion. Horror or darkness is fine for many novels, but I can't stand it in erotica (and obviously in romance it would be a big no-no). But an unresolved ending, in any type of genre, makes me want to throw the book. And I definitely will never pick up that author again.

DiloKeith · Apr 19, 2011

I usually dislike the unresolved or unpleasant endings I find in erotica, but I can accept them. I see a lot of this in gay male erotica, which struck me as strange the first few times. Now, I'm prepared for it. I think it might be done to better reflect reality, to let the reader feel something unique. I read almost no het erotica, so I don't know how common those unresolved endings are.

sunandshadow · Apr 19, 2011

DiloKeith said:
This is a difficult question because the end depends on the rest - villains, weddings, or whatever would flow from the story. Or am I missing something?

I've heard many people say they know how they want their story to end before they start writing. I really want to be able to do that, it would be tremendously helpful to me to have an ending to write toward. So, basically the opposite of what you said - develop the 'rest' i.e. the middle of the book to get to a desired end.

Several people have mentioned HEA/HFN. I write erotic romance so a happy resolution for the relationship is a given for me. That's the easy part. But a romance isn't a plot by itself, it usually exists alongside one of the standard plot types: war, deception, mystery, adventure, etc. I want to know about the endings of that part of the plot. And I want to know about it in way more detail than 'happy' or 'horrific' or 'humorous'. I'd really like to see more responses like honeybaby's which are a list of descriptions of specific endings.

DiloKeith · Apr 19, 2011

Now, I understand the question. I've been writing, or at least knowing, the end first, so that makes sense. I have nothing specific to offer you, unfortunately.

sunandshadow · Apr 19, 2011

DiloKeith said:
Now, I understand the question. I've been writing, or at least knowing, the end first, so that makes sense. I have nothing specific to offer you, unfortunately.

I suppose I could ask you the dreaded "Where do you get your [ending] ideas?" question. :hat:

DiloKeith · Apr 19, 2011

I have very little plot and I haven't written many stories. So far, they're about BDSM relationship issues and my real life has provided tons of material (I've been doing it for about 25 years). Issues include dealing with switching roles, partners finding out they're sort of related to each other, and partners wanting to try something with other people instead of the partner. My current WIP have some surprises for the reader, so I can't be too specific about those. The erotic short story that will be published this Fall is based loosely on people I know - it's about someone's first time doing a real BDSM session, particularly how she matches wits with the established Domme. It's my only lesbian story so far.

dangerousbill · Apr 19, 2011

Satori1977 said:
Not really directed at you Bill, but I hate this with a passion. Horror or darkness is fine for many novels, but I can't stand it in erotica (and obviously in romance it would be a big no-no). But an unresolved ending, in any type of genre, makes me want to throw the book. And I definitely will never pick up that author again.

Ah, but there are markets for these, so someone is reading.

Filigree · Apr 20, 2011

I've written m/m and m/f erotica stories with some extremely dark endings, but mostly as challenge pieces to see if I could. (I can, and still regularly get 'I hate you, you made me cry, when are you writing the sequel?' fanmail.) I prefer HFN endings, myself, which is what I'm giving my current WIP.

I have this philosophical problem with GLBT stories using downer endings: it was a traditional plot device in the pre-Stonewall days. A way to titillate the readers, but also assure society that unsanctioned lifestyles always led to bad endings.

Personally, if I've invested 60 to 80K or more in my main characters, I'd like to give a little holiday before I throw them back into hell.

Satori1977 · Apr 20, 2011

dangerousbill said:
Ah, but there are markets for these, so someone is reading.

I am sure some people don't mind it, or even really like those kinds of endings. I was just stating my opinion.

MMConway · May 1, 2011

Only you can tell yourself where you want your story to end. If it comes from someone else telling you, that would probably be very difficult for you to write. Or maybe it would make it easier on you, not sure. Best of luck to you.

sunandshadow · May 2, 2011

MMConway said:
Only you can tell yourself where you want your story to end. If it comes from someone else telling you, that would probably be very difficult for you to write. Or maybe it would make it easier on you, not sure. Best of luck to you.

Well, you know that list of 36 basic plot types? I was just thinking it would be so handy to have a list of basic ending types. When I was trying to figure out the ending for a story I could look at the list and test each one to see which felt the most right. A brainstorming resource.

If I wanted help with a particular story's ending I'd still be asking for people to help me brainstorm; I wouldn't just ask one person to tell me what to write, I'd collect a lot of suggestions, see which I liked, and see if they inspired me to think of any twists or additions or ways to combine two of them.

dangerousbill · May 2, 2011

sunandshadow said:
Well, you know that list of 36 basic plot types? I was just thinking it would be so handy to have a list of basic ending types.

Maybe you are the one who'll put such a directory together...

One thing I've noticed about erotic books relative to other genres: The ending doesn't seem to matter much. I've read erotic books that I found completely satisfying, but then just...ended. As if the author had died in his/er chair or something.

About the 36 plot types--where can I find the list? Last I heard there were six types, or 12, but the list has grown again.

Satori1977 · May 2, 2011

I would love to see this list of 36 plot types as well.

One thing I've noticed about erotic books relative to other genres: The ending doesn't seem to matter much. I've read erotic books that I found completely satisfying, but then just...ended. As if the author had died in his/er chair or something.

So true!

sunandshadow · May 2, 2011

dangerousbill said:
About the 36 plot types--where can I find the list? Last I heard there were six types, or 12, but the list has grown again.

Actually it's a very old list. Here's the wikipedia article. there are several other versions floating around the internet which may have additional commentary, suggestions, examples, or whatever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Six_Dramatic_Situations

Satori1977 · May 2, 2011

Thanks!

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