o. writing help

NINE WAYS TO END A STORY

to help you write

an unforgettable and

satisfying ending

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the ending reminds readers of the beginning by returning to an important place or reintroducing a key character.

the ending connects to some odd or offbeat element earlier in the story.

create a tick-tock structure with time advancing relentlessly. to end the story, you decide what should happen last.

rather than time, focus on place or geography. the hurricane reporter moves readers from location to location, revealing the terrible damage from the storm. to end, you select the final destination.

this does not require a "happy ending," but a satisfying one, a reward for a journey concluded, a secret revealed, a mystery solved.

the story ends, but life goes on. how many times have you wondered, after the house lights come back on, what happened next to the characters in a movie? readers care about characters in stories. an epilogue helps satisfy their curiosity.

the common structure suggests its own ending. frame the problem at the top and then offer readers possible solutions and resolutions.

often overused, this technique remains a sturdy tool for ending stories. some characters just speak in endings, capturing in their own words a neat summary or distillation of what has come before. in most cases, you can write it better than the source can say it. But not always.

most stories are about things that have already happened. but what do people say will happen next? what is the likely consequence of this decision or those events?

i hope this helped!!