McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

A Conversation About Endings

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blgarver:
Okay, this is something I'm sure everyone that's ever written a story has run into and riddled themselves about, so hopefully you guys can help me with some insight.

So many fantasy/speculative fiction books have some grand them at their core, something fundamentally so different, and yet so simple, than anything we've ever heard of before that it seems like a stroke of pure genius to us.  Well, as many of you here, I'm trying to become a fantasy author - no particular reason, it's just that when I write, it always comes out on the flip side of reality - and I'm finding myself getting tripped up and discouraged in the fact that my current novel doesn't have any ground breaking, life changing concepts.

At least I don't think it does.  I don't really write with a message, I just like to write stories. 

And these concepts in these books usually go through all the way to the end in some hellishly clever and unexpected ending.  So here's my conundrum:  How the hell am I supposed to write an unexpected ending, when I know what the ending is in the first place?

And, it's really my instinct to go against the twist/surprise ending that's become such a staple in the genre, simply because it seems to have come full circle to the point of nearing the realm of cliche.

How come I'm struggling so much with just writing an ending that resolves and is right for the story without conveying some concept or message that could make the reader tingle when he/she thinks about it?

And yes, I'm writing this in regards to my first novel, which is still not finished...but I am much closer than I was when I last posted about it, under "Oh crap - I'm stuck."  I'm now about 30 pages from the end.  The end just isn't striking me like I feel it should.

Thanks again everyone, your input has definately helped me in the past.  I can only assume it will help me again.

BLG

Kid Longshot:
Um, not a very experienced writer here, but...

If you just like to tell stories, then why not do that? Why necessarily do you need a 'message'?

I mean, if it sales you're concerned with, I can get that, I worry about that, and I'm nowhere near publishing a book. I can only imagine... but, I think if the story's good enough, it can still make money. I mean, look at Hollywood. Have you ever seen a great movie that didn't have some sort of message to force down your throat, it just told a great story? I can. Two, actually, and they're series. The Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man. (I count three, and that's because despite some flaws in writing, it ended up being enjoyable.)

But, this is just me. Don't go making any huge life decisions without another opinion. Anyway, I hope this helps. If not, then I'm sorry.

Uilos:
I'm all for writing for writing's sake, but some people like to add a message in their stories. Lord knows I do.

In answer to the OP, I think the ending should in some way incorporate at least one of your messages.

I'll give you a for instance. Dune, highest grossing Sci-Fi novel ever. It ends with Jessica, who was not married to her son's father but rather his concubine whom he considered a wife, telling Chani, who is about to be put in the same position, that "She may bear his name, but history will call us 'Wives'"

Hope this helped

Josh:
So if you don't want to focus on a "message" then focus on your characters. That's what the story is about, isn't it? Your characters struggling for something, and in the end, hopefully achieving it? So what do your characters care about? How would they say goodbye, in their own special way? Is there a phrase or some action they could do that doesn't scream "close the book now!" but is a nice closure for the reader who has journeyed along with these characters? A way of showing how much the events have changed them? You certainly don't have to sit the reader down and say, Let's see what you've learned so far. They're smart. They'll get the point, even if you don't realize you're making it.

prophet224:
I have to say, I think that many books (whatever format or genre) aren't written with quite the 'grand themes' that we later take from them.  Certainly, on the other hand, many are.  The key is whether or not you told a good story.  That said, I do feel the same desire.  I don't think it's a matter of writing so that it sells (non-thoughtful books sell very well these days, after all).  I think it's a desire to write something more meaningful than 'just' a story.

On another note, just because you know what the ending is in the first place doesn't mean that it won't come out unexpected to the reader.  And there's no reason you have to go with a 'twist' ending.  That does get cliche.  Sometimes the quest ends with successfully destroying the ring or killing the dragon.  Sometimes the heroes die (but if they do it had better be appropriate to the characters).  I'm curious what you settle on.  Let me ask, though.  Did you, when starting off, have a vision in mind for the end? 

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