Writing a satisfying ending — part one

During your writing journey, you will find a lot of articles on the “How To Start A Novel” subject. You will read about how to hook the reader, how to present the stakes, how to write the very first sentence — basically everything related to the first chapter, or if you’re lucky, the first 10 pages (as those as more or less a querying standard). But people rarely talk about how to end a novel, and trust me, a satisfying ending is as equally important as that hook you spent days, week, or even months writing.

I was in your shoes once. I had the beginning perfectly sketched in my mind (of course, that beginning changed around 10 times by now, but I still had a starting point) and I knew what events I wanted to cover in the manuscript (and I’ve had to kill quite a few darlings), but when it came to the ending, all I had was the feeling I wanted to leave the reader with.

Not much, right?

I’ll be completely honest: coming up with the ending I have now (which makes sense, ties everything together, and leaves the reader with that feeling I had in mind when I first thought of this story) was insanely hard. What helped me most in tying my story together were discussions — brainstorming, if you like — but often, you won’t have that trusted someone to turn to like I did.

When it comes to figuring out how to wrap up your story, there are a few different endings that need to be discussed.

1. Circular ending / a tie-back ending / a full circle ending brings the story “full circle” back around to where it began—with subtle differences that show how your characters have grown within their world. Most stories that follow the Hero’s Journey story archetype have a circular plot structure with a tied ending. The protagonist goes on a grand adventure, learns and experiences new things, and then returns to the life they once had, but changed. In a novel, the circular elements might be a place where your story starts and stops, a thematic idea that your protagonist was working to understand at the beginning of the story, or a metaphor that has taken on new meaning.

2. Resolved ending / tied ending ties up all the loose ends in your story. Romance readers have grown to expect a resolved ending, which usually involves everyone living happily ever after (except for the villain). A resolved ending doesn’t necessarily have to be a happily ever after, but it should give the reader a sense of conclusion and fulfillment. This means tying off all your subplots, addressing all the dramatic questions raised at the beginning of the story, and ensuring all (or at least most) lingering secrets have been laid to rest. A resolved ending is always satisfying for both characters and readers.

3. Unresolved ending leaves loose threads so that the story can continue after the book is closed. This is especially popular with books in a longer series. When you end your story on a cliffhanger, your readers remain engaged with your story until they get a chance to read what happens in the next installment. But here's the catch: even when you use an unresolved ending to close your story, it should still have that essential sense of completion by the end. By the time you reach the ending, the major, central conflicts of the plot should be resolved and your players should reach a resting place, BUT there will still be some unanswered questions.

4. Ambiguous ending offers two or more equally conceivable possibilities and makes your readers think about what the story means to them. It leaves some lingering questions at the end of the book; the difference is that the readers can reflect on the story and look for answers within themselves (just a reminder: the unresolved ending means the reader needs to wait to get the answers from the writer later on). Ending the story ambiguously is also a great way to bring your readers together. It will make them want to compare ideas in forums, discussion groups, or with friends. Ambiguous endings engage the reader in a creative and cognitive way.

5. Unexpected ending / twist ending gives the story one dramatic, final turn as it reaches its close. But even though your story ending may be unexpected, it still has to make sense within the world you’ve created. This means laying the groundwork in bits and pieces through plot, character, and setting in a way that slips beneath the reader’s notice, but that they can easily refer back to in their memory so that everything makes sense as they consider the unexpected ending of your story. This type of ending is the cornerstone of mystery novels. Through genre convention, readers have grown to expect a twist ending that will shock and delight them, but in a way that feels like a natural progression of the story. Done skillfully, the unexpected ending can pack a huge emotional punch and secure you a fan for life.

6. Expanded ending / an epilogue is a second, smaller story built out of your story’s ending: all things you may not have space for inside your story, but you still want to share with the reader to give them a fuller understanding of your story world. The expanded ending isn’t meant to be a resolution to your plot, but rather a window into what the next chapter of life holds in store for the characters we’ve grown to love. This gives the writer space to explore what happens after the story’s close, and to address any last questions the readers may have. It also gives your readers a little more time with your characters before they have to say goodbye.

7. Reflective ending happens when the protagonist is able to look back at their experiences and consider them through the lens of their growth over the course of the story. A reflective ending examines the main events of the story through a new perspective. This reflection might happen if the character is looking back at an event from their youth, or if their circumstances have changed dramatically through the events of the plot. This type of ending is popular in fantasy and science fiction—for instance, if the character returns to the “real world” after a period of intense fantastical experiences — as well as in creative nonfiction, where the author may be reflecting on some formative events in their real life.

All these ending will inevitably fall into one of the three types of endings: happy, bittersweet, and tragic. One core principle applies to all three: readers should leave your book with a feeling of homesickness for your characters, story world, and, most importantly, ultimate rest.

1. A happy ending is something we seek out when times are tough because they offer hope and allow us to believe things will get better. They allow us to escape and transport ourselves to another reality where everything will work out. And true, the goal of happy endings is to provide a glimpse of paradise, but a happy ending isn’t necessarily a joyful moment. Rather, it shows that the circumstances are favorable: the hero won, reunited with his friends, got married (or rescued a loved one), and became wiser, demonstrating he learned a life’s (and story's) lesson. In general, this paints a picture of a shining future.

According to the few articles I found online, around 43% of the readers prefer happy endings over the other two. But there is a time when, despite their love for happy endings, the readers will frown upon reading a ‘happily ever after’ sort of ending. This happens when the happiness seems to be forced in as divine karma — the hero suffered, so is rewarded by living peacefully despite of everything that previously occurred. In this case, the ending detracts from the rest of the story, especially if it out right ignores character development or story elements in order to provide the element of happiness. Happiness is something to be earned, never given.

2. A bittersweet ending is the best way to stir your readers’ emotions. Its goal is to bring readers to tears; it will be sad materially / physically but triumphant spiritually. It should generally imply that troubles may occur in the future, but the light of truth will continue to prevail over darkness.

Bittersweet endings have three elements: loss, growth, and new equilibrium. Loss is the key: it tells the reader the stakes are real and the characters are truly in danger (not necessarily a physical one). Without experiencing loss in a story, we tend to dismiss the plot as unrealistic and idealistic. But to achieve a bittersweet ending requires more than loss; loss needs an emotional counterweight. Hence the second component — growth. Growth may not seem terribly interesting at first, but it is important. It plays a functional role, helping to pull the reader through the story. It keeps things interesting when plot twists and conflict get too repetitive. A journey of weak or put-down characters becoming strong delivers a true sense of fulfillment. You can pair growth of a negative trait with an otherwise positive story and still end up with the emotional balance necessary for a bittersweet ending. If you have many characters, you have a lot of flexibility to intertwine emotional difficulties before you arrive at the final balance. Without that final balance, the loss and growth in the story won’t resolve themselves in a bittersweet ending. That brings us to the last element — new equilibrium. This element isn’t easily noticed, because the first two encompass so much of what’s necessary for a bittersweet ending. It’s also a little more subtle, since most decent stories finish with some resolved state of affairs. What makes a bittersweet ending stick with you is that things are not only different, but they can’t ever go back to the way they were at the start. So much has changed that the only option left is to find a new equilibrium, or balance point, in the world. The magic of a bittersweet ending is being held in place by the combination of sadness for what has been lost and joy for what has been gained. This can only happen when the emotional effects are matched in intensity. As humans, we all have an innate desire for a balance between joy and grief. We want to be in equilibrium.

3. Tragic endings should punch readers in the gut, but they shouldn’t be despondent or dark; they should be impactful and deeply gratifying in an intellectual sense. Writers use tragedy to examine how behavior, choices, states of mind, and factors beyond one’s control can damage the psyche and cause suffering, both in and beyond oneself. Suffering is one of the few universal human experiences we all share, and understanding it helps us better understand one another. This naturally leads to empathy, and it can also comfort an audience and make them feel less alone. Tragedies should be bleak, but that doesn’t mean they must be dark. Virtually everything can go wrong and the character ends in a dismal moral state, but they don’t conclude their story with a nihilistic tone. Instead, they are fairly agnostic and highlights humankind’s fallen nature without indicating whether man is redeemable or not. From a purely physical standpoint, the story's ending is hopeful, with the characters being rescued off their island.

To pull off a tragic ending, you will need one of the three elements (as opposed to the better-sweet endings, where you need all three): a tragic hero, a tragic flaw, and catharsis. A tragic hero is a central character whose choices or weaknesses lead to their downfall. They initially possess some admirable or valiant quality, such as bravery, compassion, or decency, but their bad judgement or moral failings, however momentary, result in a failure that has disastrous consequences. A tragic flaw is a character trait that triggers the tragic hero’s defeat. The flaw might be a decision or mistake the character makes or a limitation they possess. Catharsis is a purging or purification of emotions. Even if the characters don’t survive or experience any type of redemption in the end, the process of catharsis can, emotionally or spiritually speaking, cleanse them of their pain.

COMING SOON: PART 2 - Elements of a satisfying ending