The ends! (let's talk about the ends of stories)

First, welcome.

The good guy/bad guy or protagonist/antagonist ending is the archetypal ending. I think, though, you mean an actual physical confrontation. It works pretty well for certain types of stories. My favorite kind of ending, though, is just one that ties all the story threads together yet leaves some mystery. I like having some endings open to interpretation.

A nice trick is to get it to mirror the first scene, possibly with a different outcome.

JD

The "it was all an illusion" ending.

Think Dennis Lehane's superb Shutter Island.

The different endings I've seen:

End
Fini
-30-
#

Books have endings? Dang. I knew I was doing something wrong.

Seriously, I like my books to end in such a way that the world seems to continue on, that the characters lives (those still left alive) continue and that we've just seen one episode or one part of a much larger picture.

Similar to Birol, I like endings that hint at a new beginning, but don't give me the details. IE, I don't want to know "So and so grew up and became a computer salesman, married, and had three kids."

My ending is skewed/cyclical. It's like Jan Darby suggested, except more of an ellipse than a circle

Also I have a problem with ending the things I'm working on now, as I'm on a series arc. If my first book in the series ever gets published/popular I'm going to kick and scream (well, maybe not kick), until they let me keep my cliffhanger ending for book 2

There's the "circle back to the beginning and everything has changed" ending.

The "closure" ending (for both the characters and the readers).

The "new beginning" ending.

(of course, the "all of the above" ending. )

The "hero dies and saves the world" ending.

maestrowork said:

The "hero dies and saves the world" ending.

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I love that ending. I'm especially fond of the "every last person dies for the promise of a new beginning" endings. Have to be careful with those, but when done well they're awesome.

I like to end my stories with my characters not getting what they wanted (or thought they wanted) but feeling optimistic that they can still forge a new path that will bring them happiness.

It depends on the story. One novel I'm working on has Birol's described ending, with the world -- and its problems -- continuing onward.

But the other one I'm working on will wrap up all neat and tidy, happily ever after. I like that ending too. It's like getting told a good story which ends and leaves you feeling happier about your day. So that's okay too.

And of course, depending on how tired I am, my favorite ending is mid-sentence. Such as this:

"oh Rllgthunder, but you know that my love for you is forbidden!" Birol exclaimed and SUDDENLY THE ZOMBIES ROSE UP AND ATE EVERY DAMN BODY JUST BEFORE THE WORLD EXPLODED THE END

I like that too.

My most recent ending was written in the same fashion as two of my favourite books: GREAT EXPECTATIONS and FEAST OF ALL SAINTS. The end is the beginning...the reader, hopefully, is left feeling like the story is just beginning...that the journey took the narrator to the beginning of his life...a new place where he can start over and follow his bliss.

KTC said:

My most recent ending was written in the same fashion as two of my favourite books: GREAT EXPECTATIONS and FEAST OF ALL SAINTS. The end is the beginning...the reader, hopefully, is left feeling like the story is just beginning...that the journey took the narrator to the beginning of his life...a new place where he can start over and follow his bliss.

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That's the ending of my novel -- the "world" of the main story comes to an end... the main characters return to where they started, and the ending signifies a new beginning (and the world continues for everyone else). I like that, a lot.

maestrowork said:

That's the ending of my novel -- the "world" of the main story comes to an end... the main characters return to where they started, and the ending signifies a new beginning (and the world continues for everyone else). I like that, a lot.

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Yeah...it's the kind of ending that makes me cry. Every time I read SAINTS I get all choked up as Marcel walks away into the new future he struggled so hard to find. Fantastic ending.

I don't like books that end on the climax. I like the climax to be followed by a denouement. I like to see the world after the climax and how the characters' lives continue.

maestrowork said:

That's the ending of my novel -- the "world" of the main story comes to an end... the main characters return to where they started, and the ending signifies a new beginning (and the world continues for everyone else). I like that, a lot.

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Which is how my current one ends as well.

My favorite kind of ending.

Roger J Carlson said:

I don't like books that end on the climax. I like the climax to be followed by a denouement.

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With novel, I think that has to be. With short stories, however, you do end on the climax.

maestrowork said:

With novel, I think that has to be. With short stories, however, you do end on the climax.

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Yes, I was talking about novels. For some reason, I don't like short fiction much. Perhaps that IS the reason.

I always end with the promise of more - conclude the important plot issues, but leave the characters/world open for a sequel.

One of these days, though, I'm gonna write one where humanity gets wiped out and aliens own the Earth. Kinda like AW, only with lasers.

Stew21 said:

Which is how my current one ends as well.

My favorite kind of ending.

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My WIP probably will have that kind of ending, but with a twist. We'll see...


Another kind of ending: the bookend/frame endings.

maestrowork said:

The "hero dies and saves the world" ending.

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I hate that ending. That's why Matrix 3 sucked.

Shadow_Ferret said:

I hate that ending. That's why Matrix 3 sucked.

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Or the "just before they go off into happiness the hero dies unnecessarily so the readers are forced to cry a good cry" ending. I hate that so much. (I won't give spoilers, but there is a number of "romantic" novels that favor this ending)