6 July 2026·3 min read
Endings that land
The events can be over while something important still feels unresolved.
An ending may tie up the events without resolving the question that kept us reading.
Look back at the opening and the major decisions along the way. What have we been waiting to learn or see tested? The ending may need to return to that, even if it leaves some events open.
Could she actually have lost?
Look at what your main character risks in the final scenes. What could they lose, and does the reader understand why it matters?
The outcome doesn’t have to be a surprise. Even an expected ending can carry weight when we understand what the choice costs.
Consider what changes for the other person
One possibility is to let both sides of a conflict come away with a new understanding.
What does your protagonist learn? Does the person they’ve opposed see anything differently too? You may find a useful contrast between those two responses. It’s an option to explore, rather than a requirement for every ending.
Read more
These books explore the ideas in more detail, with examples you can try in your own work.
The Art of Fiction · John Gardner
A detailed look at how fiction works, including narrative distance and the experience of reading.
The Anatomy of Story · John Truby
An approach to structure through character, conflict and the ideas a story explores.
Writing the Breakout Novel · Donald Maass
An agent’s perspective on character, stakes and what keeps a story moving.
Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure · James Scott Bell
Practical ways to examine plot and structure when a draft feels stuck.
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