So, That's How it Ends? (KaLyn)

A writer's job is essentially three tasks: read, write, and hook readers through to the last word. It's not enough for a book to have a compelling beginning and an eventful middle. The last word must set the hook for future stories.

Endings are the legacies of books.

An ending can spoil a good story, redeem a bad one, and influence our decision to pick up the writer's next book or to recommend the book to a friend. It should resonate with readers in a positive way, even if the story doesn't have a happy ending.

But how does a writer craft such an ending?

THE LAST FIFTY PAGES by James Scott Bell

In my quest to understand how to craft powerful endings, I picked up James Scott Bell's The Last Fifty Pages. 

As if it were a casual conversation between mentor and mentee, Bell explores elements and approaches for crafting endings. He presents several compelling points, followed up with brief examples from various published work. Among those points are: the goal of an ending, common issues to avoid, symmetry between the opening and the ending, and effective foreshadowing.

Bell offers constructive advice without overwhelming readers. The friendly manner in which he presents the information leaves room for independent thinking and inspiration, while his accessible language makes the book easy read in between tasks or after a long day.

I recommend The Last Fifty Pages as a resource for writers seeking to understand the art of an unforgettable ending.

Of all the books you've read, which one had an ending that resonated with you?

Your Turn: How Do You Like Your Endings?

Recently, I've come across several articles and discussions on story endings. Topics ranging from the most common ending (happily ever after) to the effect a particular type of ending has on the reading experience. After all, the ending is the last emotional memory we, as readers, have of a book. So even if the story is fantastic, if we don't like the ending it downgrades the entire book.

That puts a lot of weight on the last 5-10% of the story. Everybody seems to love happy endings, so why even consider another type of ending with so much at stake?

• Reading experience.
• Challenge the common perspective.
• Reveal a deeper truth.

If all books had a happy ending, Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespear's most famous tragedies, would be a romance story like any other and the powerful insight revealed at the end of The Fault in Our Stars would have been overshadowed by joy.

Of course, there are also stories like Poe's The Black Cat where a happy ending by definition would mean the main character achieved their goal and thus killed their cat.

The best ending truly depends upon the story itself. 

Which endings do you prefer? What reading experience do you look for in a book without a happily ever after?

New Endings (Laurie)

I've seen a few blog posts about book endings lately (including A Good End and Happily Ever After) and it got me wondering...

What book or movie ending(s) left you dissatisfied? What didn't you like about it, and most importantly, how would you have improved the ending to make it more enjoyable or gratifying?


I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks for reading!
Laurie