Alida, Kathryn, and Robert talk endings. What makes them hard? What makes them good? How to tie up those story threads and when to leave them open. Keeping the protagonist active all the way to the end. And more. We get on a roll with endings!

Show Notes:

How do you know when to end your story? And how do you deliver your ending in a way that leaves readers thinking about your story and character for days? Be deliberate about what you leave unresolved, and don’t let that ending be disappointing! Above all make sure your protagonist takes center stage. And don’t be fooled by our decoy endings.

What we talked about:

Have you ended your story too soon? (1:20)

Have you delivered your ending in a way that leaves it with your readers? (3:58)

How do you keep your denouement from dragging on? (8:09)

How do you keep your character living on in your readers minds? (9:10)

Should you be deliberate about what you leave unresolved? (10:36)

What is the protagonists roll in the ending? (15:45)

How do character archetypes contribute to an exciting and plausible ending? (21:28)

If you are killing off your protagonist in the end, how do you do it properly? (25:35)

When do you end your story? (28:45)

What about decoy endings? (34:10)

What makes a disappointing ending? (36:40)

How important is the theme to your ending? (39:30)

Two disappointing endings – the pat ending and the dribble ending. (42:35)

Things we mentioned:

Return of the King
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Want more about these topics? Check out:

SWRT 6: Openings

SWRT 7: Endings

60 Second Tip: Hooks & Endnotes

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.