The Butt End of the Book -- Ending a Story

Everybody always talks about story openings, but what about the opposite end of the work -- what about story endings? What makes those work? Let's talk about it.

Let's start with an easy one. Tell me your favorite story ending and why it works for you, why you find it memorable.

H. David Blalock: My favorite story ending? I don't think I have a single favorite. Endings do several things for a story. Tell a moral, provoke an emotion, teach a lesson, pull things together in the way most satisfying to the writer but not necessarily for the reader.

Herika Raymer: Choosing a favorite story ending is difficult. Though the one that came to mind when I read this was the ending of Travellor In Black by John Brunner. I always enjoy it when there is an unexpected twist. Not one out of the blue, but one suspected but cannot be proven/disproven until the end. There have been a lot of predictable endings, and those are naturally appropriate but sometimes a little "where did that come from" or "I knew it!" is refreshing.

James Layne: In "Once Upon A Time" tales the guy gets the girl and slays the dragon. In action stories the hero lives to fight another day, I assume bodice rippers end with something climactic, but the endings that I like best are those that either leave you wanting  for more, or when you read the last line and realize that the entire 268 previous pages were nothing but setup for a marvelous one liner such as in Zalazney's A Night In the Lonesome October - Jack and Jill ran down the hill  and Grey and I came after...

Ray Dean: How about I go opposite... the WORST ending ever... Stephen R Donaldson's Mirror of Her Dreams. 654 pages to find out that ... continued in part 2. Over a year and a half later when the second part came out I had to reread part 1 to get up to speed... it just wasn't the same. Where I had been on the edge of my seat to find out what's next... I was now... sigh.

Jason Henderson: When I thought about this question, several answers came to mind but a favorite would be the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. After all the excitement we get a short chapter that shows a gentle scene of the family - Jem, Scout and Atticus, as Atticus reads them a story and puts the children to bed. We get a lot right at the end -- a story-within-a-story with a moral that echoes the story of the whole novel, a gentle moment, and for the reader, a return to the world of our own - the characters literally go to sleep. I'm left entranced and feeling privileged to have spent time with the characters.

Lee Houston Jr.: My favorite story ending (to date) unfortunately has yet to be released, so I'm not sure I can talk about it in great detail right now. I will say that the short story is scheduled to be published by Airship 27, and that the twist ending has a very big surprise for even the most casual pulp (or movie) fan.

Cam Crowder: It's kind of a tossup to be honest. But, if I had to pick, I think I'd go with Caliban's Hour by Tad Williams. It was the first time as a kid that I read a book that left me actively guessing after the book was closed.

The whole premise of the book was Caliban finding the woman who betrayed him years prior and making her pay. But, after he tells her his story, the woman's daughter storms in and offers to leave with Caliban in order to spare her mother. Caliban says that he'll take care of the girl, but also openly says that he could be lying if he's truly the monster he's been called all these years. The most fascinating part about the ending was the way he leaves everything in the hands of the woman he'd been intending to kill for the whole book, telling her that, if she believes him, she'll wait until the candle in the room goes out before calling the guards.

It's an ending that still gives me chills to this day when I read the book.

I.A. Watson: There are three kinds of endings I find effective. The first is the "they all return home changed" end. Think of the last couple of chapters of Lord of the Rings, where four kick-ass Hobbits get back to the Shire, Frodo stomps Saruman, and we see how the adventure is going to shape everyone's lives thereafter.

Then there's the big-last-clash type of ending, which ties together everything that's come before. There are revelations, betrayals, major moral choices, possibly a countdown, probably things exploding. I try for these in my pulp fiction writing, especially at the close of my Robin Hood trilogy and in Blackthorn: Dynasty of Mars.

Lastly there's the sense-of-destiny ending. King Arthur takes his place at the Round Table - or heads away in a boat for Avalon, to await the day of his return. It's the moment when the protagonist we've watched struggle for 500 pages comes into his own. This ending sometimes but not always involves a romance, and sometimes but not always sets up a sequel.

What is the purpose of a good and effective story ending? How does that purpose differ from the opening of a story? Which, if either, if more important to the work?

H. David Blalock: A good ending should at least finish the story in a way that lets the reader see there is nothing left to tell. Unless you have the prestige of a Hitchcock or a very forgiving readership, all plotlines should be resolved. All questions should be answered. All conflicts should be resolved. One way or the other.

Herika Raymer: An effective story ending resolves all threads laid out in the story. Even if the thread is not tied up the way the reader would prefer, at least it is addressed. To me that is an effective ending - what threads were put out there and how can they be resolved?

James Layne: An over simplified answer would be that one is just as important as the other for the same reason, gaining enough of the reader's trust to get them to buy the next book... But from a story telling standpoint to me at least, the beginning is about kicking the door in and exposing what is on the other side. Endings, well not every story has a happy ending and life even in fiction isn't always neat and tidy. For me the ending is resolution of a problem and not about packaging it neatly for the evening news. I seem to do better with the endings to novels than with my short stories. I have trouble because endings require setup and sometimes its a challenge for me in shorter word counts... Boiled down, "The beginning sells this book, the ending sells the next one."

Ray Dean: An opening is supposed to set you down in the middle of the action, sweep you up in the story. The ending should be satisfying. Something that makes you feel the journey was worth it. And hopefully, it also instills excitement in you for the world you've just explored. Hope that you'll have other adventures in the same universe. Both are important... bookends.

Lee Houston Jr.: The opening should draw the reader into your tale and make them want to find out what happens next. The ending should at least have the reader satisfied, if not excited, that they did spend the time to read your story. Both are equally vital to the overall work.

Cam Crowder: The opening is more important for drawing the reader in, but the ending is what they're going to remember.

That said, I've seen a million-and-three different types of endings in my lifetime, and only a few of them stood out as wrong. I know people sometimes hate it when a book's last chapters move at light speed and the story ends leaving them with more questions than they had when they started. Personally, I like that, but it's not for everyone.

I also think that a good opening is more universal than a good ending. Most people like for their books to open with a hook to draw them in, whereas endings are very diverse, depending on the audience you're trying to reach.

Jason Henderson: The opening of a story performs the critical function of getting you, the reader, to read the whole first page and then turn that page. The rest is optional. The closing of a story performs the critical function of making you glad you read all the way to the end - a tougher job and one that books often fail. To me the opening is important for a very narrow purpose: getting you to decide in a split second whether to keep reading. (That's why I try to begin my adventure novels in media res, with the main character, say, falling out of an airplane. But even if you don't start with action, even if it's a dialogue scene in someone's drawing room, the opening has one job: keep you from putting the book back down.

An ending, on the other hand, has to make you feel like you were not wrong to keep reading -- to satisfy you and with any luck leave you with a visceral thrill, hairs standing on your arms. The opening can be a carnival barker and promise anything at all; the closing must sell you on the value of what you've read, and be right about it.

Shane Moore: I prefer the emotional ending to the big reveal. I want the reader moved insomuch they have a real emotional reaction. In order to achieve this, it forces me to write and develop a story the reader is fully invested in.

I.A. Watson: A good opening lays out the themes for the book, piques reader interest, sucks readers in. it;s most basic job is to get someone to turn to page 2, but it can and should do a lot more than that. A good ending affirms the whole experience, making the reader glad he or she purchased the work. The opening might determine whether the book gets read; the ending determines whether it gets read again, and loaned out, and recommended to friends, and given five-star reviews.

An ending needs to tie up plots, themes, personal character arcs, and any outstanding business. There's a slightly different answer for endings on ongoing series, which may carry over some elements, but in both cases there had to be a sense of closure. Think how many fan-favourite TV series have dropped from grace through poor endings (hello, Lost, Twin Peaks, even How I Met Your Mother). Books, which are usually longer-term commitments to experience and require a deeper cognitive function, demand even more rigorous levels of sense-of-completion.

Endings are more important in terms of literary quality. A book's reputation might survive a bad start. It won't survive a bad end.

What are the key elements of an effective ending paragraph or line? What makes them effective?

H. David Blalock: The ending is the most important part of the story, as just about any writer can tell you. It's easy to create conflict, to build characters, to populate plots. It's only the best writers who can bring everything together, meld it into a unified whole, and present it in an entertaining and acceptable way when the final paragraph passes under the reader's eye. Editors look at the opening to see if they should further consider a work for publication, but even if you pass the first hurdle, if you can't write an ending that tells the editor you know not only how to tell a story, but how to satisfy the reader.

Herika Raymer: Depending on how the paragraph or line is being used, how it is phrased. If you are using it to lead into the next sentence or chapter, be sure it leaves a sense of what is to come. If it is meant as a closure, have a feeling of finality to it.

James Layne: Resolution of a problem. Recovery of the McGuffin. Rescue of the damsel in distress. These are the purposes of the ending. If there is not an adequate and justified reason for the release of dramatic tension then give me something I can sink my teeth into. IF you can't do that then you better hit me with one heckuva good joke. The ending is the money shot, it is where your reader feels the value proposition... The most effective endings give you resolution, but  they also tease you with things that happen just outside the field of vision or earshot. Your reader has lived and died with your characters, they require justice for those with whom they've bled and cried. A happy ending is nice in the given circumstance, but the right ending is everything.

Ray Dean: Hmm.. perhaps an ending should be like a sleeve - (keep in mind I sew) - where a sleeve should end with an appropriate edge, line, or decoration. Something that complements the sleeve that led up to it. Some sleeves have a frilly edge, or a clean line of pin-tucks with a decorative button, or a light and airy froth. but if it contradicts the rest of the sleeve or the garment that it is worth with, it ruins the whole thing. Yeah, that may not work in everyone's mind, but that's how it is in mine.

Lee Houston Jr.: Somehow, those last words should summarize and impart the overall essence of the story, at least from the point of view of whoever says them, without revealing the outcome of the tale in case a copy should be looked over by the browser who glances at the last page of the print copy first.

Cam Crowder: For me personally, I like for the last line to keep me asking questions. I want to continue living in that world long after the last page is turned. Any book that can give me that, I consider effective.

But, again, the effectiveness of any ending line depends on the reader entirely. Some people don't care what it is as long as they get closure, others (like me) want some more things to think about.

And it's important to remember that your ending, whatever it might be, will define the story you're trying to tell. So it's best to make sure it's a definition you can live with. You want it to be as memorable as possible.

Jason Henderson: The ending paragraph or line doesn't have to be a clever line or joke; doesn't have to be the best line in the book. It just has to make you satisfied that you read it. So some final lines are not memorable per se - To Kill a Mockingbird's is: "He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning."

And you can't match the angry cool at the end of Casino Royale: "Yes, dammit, I said 'was.' The bitch is dead now."

Nor the chillingly taciturn final line from 1984: "I love Big Brother."

The final line of Frankenstein is: "He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance." I like that one; it's another pure close, the monster drifting "into the distance, like someone waving from the back of a train. Plus it's alliterative. Well done, Mary.

And the final line of Wuthering Heights is so good that it makes me cry even years after I remember the scene that ends it very well at all: "I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth."

So there it is: openings have to drag you in. The ending has to send you away feeling you were right to be dragged.

I.A. Watson: I've written a whole chapter on this for my forthcoming essay book Where Stories Dwell so I won't spoil that here - it's the last chapter in there, naturally. I'll briefly comment on some of my favourite tricks for closing lines:

1.    Final paragraph revelation: Rosebud was his sled!
2.    Underlining a theme or moral: "Next time, kids, maybe don't hold your frat party in the abandoned asylum, huh?"
3.    The hero gets his reward. "Sure, you're very clever. Now shut up about the case, get over here, and kiss me." "A point well made."
4.    Hook right back to the opening lines and offer some circularity or progression.

Top 10 Things You Must Know to Write Full Time

Last week, on the verge of his big launch, and with the press begging him for interviews from every corner, I called Shane Moore and I asked him to bang out something that would help the average hobbyist break out and start to make their living from their writing. With more on his plate than I have space to tell you, Moore delivered in his own inimitable style.

There’s some profanity below (also part of Moore’s style), but no one can deny the man know what he’s talking about. We here at NBB hope you find this insightful post as entertaining as it is useful.

Frank Fradella // publisher

The Top 10 Things You Must Know to Write Full Time
By Shane Moore

10.) THIS IS A BUSINESS
Yes, that’s right. You thought this was “art.” The shit your kid brings home from school and you tack on your fridge with a magnet is art. Writing full time is about producing a product—not art. If you want to produce something perfect, spend thirty years writing it and then put it in a drawer. The moment you seek publishing, you are entering a professional arena driven by dollars and cents. As soon as you get that truth through your head the sooner you will be able to divorce yourself from your work and create a sellable product for other people.

Continue reading: http://newbabelbooks.com/2012/06/the-top-10-things-you-must-know-to-write-full-time/

Making the Fantasy Fantastic

Last week we looked at one slice of the fantasy genre, urban fantasy. This week we take a step back and examine the fantasy that paved the way for the slices, mainstream or "high" fantasy.

What is your working definition of fantasy as a literary genre?

Shane Moore: Pure fantasy is a quasi medieval period setting. However, fantasy can be in anything such as modern (Twilight) and Science Fiction (Star Wars). However, for it to be in either there must be some form of explanation/boundaries or the reader will be come disenfranchised with it. 

Allan Gilbreath: Storytelling based on known or recognized mythological creatures from folk tales.

Nancy Hansen: Fantasy is the fiction genre where some sort of magical/mystical backdrop partially or fully replaces science, industry, and technology. It differs from classic horror in that the focus is less on the terrifying aspects but more on character growth in overcoming some overarching obstacle. There are subgenres within fantasy, and lots of crossover possibilities, so high fantasy is just one possibility amongst many.

Don Thomas: Traditional Fantasy typically tends to be set in a pre-Industrial revolution type of society that is heavily immersed in mythology and magic.  A world where superstition, legend, and the sword are the standard as compared to settings where there is the excessive use of gunpowder, explosive compounds, and liberal use of the scientific method for that matter.

And in some case these worlds can be just as advanced as our own modern day society with magic replacing various logically based scientific discoveries.

Fantasy itself is a word that can be used to described any setting that one would call fantastical.  In other words a setting that is dramatically and very obviously different from the present day world that the reader currently occupies.  Which is why stories like the Wizard of Oz or even Science Fiction epics like Star Wars or Blade Runner could also be labeled as Fantasy.  But the key difference would be the Fantasy genre as a whole and what many call Traditional Fantasy.

Lee Houston Jr.: I look for the basics: swords, sorcery, elves, mythical creatures, enchanted realms, quests, etc. But while I love the adventure and unique turns of phrases amongst the various authors, I do prefer a steady pace to the story and not get too bogged down in details and exposition.

Herika R. Raymer: As a literary genre, I would have to say fantasy are stories which explore the mythical and lore-filled world. This mostly deals with the well known faeries, elves, and dwarves – not to mention pantheons of gods – but it can also deal with the nastier side of legend, like redcaps and dopplegangers and such. Then again, if you look further back in lore, faeries and elves and dwarves were not always considered friends to humans. Sometimes, they were enemies. It just all depended.

What drew you to the genre and made you want to write fantasy tales?

Shane Moore: I was stabbed in the line of duty in 2004. I was suggested writing as a way of coping with PTSD. Since writing police stories would only exacerbate the condition--I chose something as fa removed from law enforcement as possible--dragons and dwarves. Being the perfectionist I am, I began to learn the industry for potential publication--earned my first contract--and two years later had enough sales I quit/retired from law enforcement and went pro.

Allan Gilbreath: Faerie tales and fables were the first stories that I remember back in childhood days of having a story read to you. They were written to give a regular person hope that one day they may be in extraordinary situations and rise to the occasion. I just never lost the love of story telling. 

Nancy Hansen: Escapism. I think of all the genre fiction out there, fantasy least resembles the everyday world we live in, past or present. As a reader and movie goer, I always seemed to gravitate towards those kind of stories that were peppered with magic and mythical creatures or beings, mainly because I could so easily leave my own world behind, with all its everyday baggage. When I started writing seriously, back when my kids were young, we were a gaming household, and the RPGs (role playing games) were always the favorite. Back then most of them were solidly fantasy or some sort of hybrid setting. Those were stressful years for us, with lots of chaos to them, because my oldest son has a disability and he was struggling in school. I was reading a lot of fantasy at night to unwind. That quickly led to writing it as well, because there was something about creating a world where I made the rules that was really appealing. A lot of what I am having published now came from notes and snippets from over 20 years ago, as I did an extensive amount of world building back then.

Don Thomas: I have always been interested in things like history and mythology.  And traditional fantasy grants me an opportunity to craft a fantastical world with a solid and very intricate history that contains many mythological based elements.

Lee Houston Jr.: As a reader, like my love for science-fiction, fantasy takes you to realms and explores things not possible in the "real" world. Some might consider this escapism, but I prefer to look at it exploring alternate possibilities of what might have been. After all, what if the Renaissance or the Industrial Revolution never happened?

Herika R. Raymer: There is something appealing about writing characters which do not necessarily think like humans. The current ideas of dwarves are beer drinking blacksmiths that you simply do not mess with, and I have seen some wonderful renditions of this – in writing and in RP/LARP. The current ideas of elves are nature-abiding magic weavers who are very artistic in nature, again well presented in some cases. Faeries are fun in that they can be presented as tricksters or just as guides, depending on your point of view. For me, writing fantasy is interesting because you get to explore those mind sets as you select them and see how your humans react to the set of rules put before them. Your character can either see them as ‘noble’ or ‘archaic’, depending on their personality.

Suppose for a moment that Tolkien had never existed. What do you think fantasy tales would look like today? What might be different about the genre?

Shane Moore: The "mainstream" monsters would be different--such as elves/dwarves/halflings/orcs--but the general concept would be the same. Fantasy has been around as long as men dared fear the dark, the forest, and the deep blue sea.

Allan Gilbreath: I don't think that Tolkien actually shifted the fantasy genre all that much. I think he is just the best example of what was possible at the time. Since the genre is based on older works being "re-imagined" and expanded upon, I think the form and function of the genre would be pretty much the same.

Nancy Hansen: I've read far more than Tolkien, though I still cite his work as a major influence. While he might be one of the seminal and often copied fathers of modern epic fantasy, there have been a lot of other worthy contributions over the years. I doubt we would have all that much difference within the genre. Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles were similar in having a fairly concise epic backdrop, and you could also make that case for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Wind In The Willows. I'm also a big Conan fan, and that's about as far from quest fantasy as you can get.  What keeps fantasy books filling shelves is the genre's sheer diversity and willingness to crossbreed with other genres to bring in new fans. There's a color and flavor for everyone. I guess we're kind of the backyard alley cat of fiction.

Don Thomas: It would be slightly different.  But remember a lot of Tolkien's stories were derived and re-imagined from his knowledge of older European myths.  There would be some differences, just like if Bram Stoker had never written Dracula there would still be modern day stories about Vampires.  There would be have been some other writer that would have written something along similar if not exact lines.

Look at it this way even if J.R.R. Tolkien had never had anything published, there would still be an enormous amount of Arthurian Tales written throughout time for modern day Fantasy writers to draw upon.  All you would need would be to add things like a race of dwarves and a man-sized humanoid race similar to elves and you're more than halfway there.

And point of fact.  The idea of a separate race of dwarves is not something that Tolkien invented, as it is a solid component of Norse mythology among other things.  And King Arthur's sometimes portrayed as villainous older step-sister was commonly referred to as Morgan Le Fey.   And in case you did not know the 'Fey' at the end implies that she had at least some ancestral connection to the magical fairies of the world.  So it could be argued that even if Tolkien's elves had never been known to the world, somewhere along the lines some writer could have read about how those particular racial origins had been the initial source of her unique mystical abilities.  And from there it would take very little imagining to come up with a unique race of pointy eared (An established physical characteristic of some fairies) humanoids that tended to be more steeped in magic than the average human.

Lee Houston Jr.: Hard to say. While he didn't originate the genre, Tolkien is definitely a pioneer in that field. There probably would not be as many "inspired by" or outright copycat authors. Depending upon how much influence Tolkien had on her, the next big fantasy author would then probably be Anne McCaffrey.

Herika R. Raymer: It would be more mythos- and lore-related, as it was before him. From what I read, almost all mythical creatures came about to either explain something that could not be explained readily, or to impart caution on children on unmarried youths. Heck, even for adults there were stories of caution lest they fall to temptation and be forever lost. Those were quite interesting. I believe fantasy tales would still exist, they would just be much more region based instead of having a ‘common’ ground.

How "pure" do you like to write your fantasy? With all the genres blending together (like urban fantasy, horror fantasy, etc.), how do you keep "high" fantasy from becoming diluted, or is that not an issue to you?

Shane Moore: I like to write within mainstream fantasy. Re-inventing the wheel is a pet peeve of mine as a reader. Instead, I like to focus on characterization. That was one of the reasons of my success. Fans liked my villains as much as they did the heroes.

Allan Gilbreath: "High Fantasy" is the very definition of genre blending. No great story today can be written without being influenced and borrowing from the other genres.

Nancy Hansen: Contrary to what you might believe by the books I have out there, I am far from a purist. I've dabbled in plenty of crossover stuff, and some totally new genres, though I will say the epic/heroic high fantasy will always be my favorite medium of literary expression. As far as dilution, that really depends on the story line. If you take for instance Anne McCaffrey's wildly successful Pern series, you would likely think of it as high fantasy. It started with a solid science fiction backdrop with the colonization of a far off planet and small lizard creatures being bio-engineered to fight a cyclical environmental thread. It was brilliant too in that the society created by these colonists sort of 'devolved' over the centuries into the mote typical quasi-medieval setup you find in high fantasy tomes. In the end, they find their off-world roots again in uncovering lost technology. I don't think I've ever read a bad Pern tale, and I've read most of the series. Never occurred to me that it might be diluted by the initial reliance on technology. What she wrote worked, and the blending was fairly seamless.

When I write, I give the story what it needs. No matter if that is some kind of horror scene, a technology boost—or as in the Silver Pentacle series, a bit of everything in a colossal mashup of other genres against a confused post-apocalyptic backdrop—as long as it works, then I've done my job. The main thing is to make sure whatever goes on in there isn't unnecessarily jarring so as to break the spell over the reader. I want folks eagerly turning the page to see what's coming next and not tossing the book at the wall because I shoved in something that makes no sense in the context of the outlined world. So if it needs diluting, it gets diluted.

Actually, its the little leprechaun voices that tell me what to write and when to do so who get to decide what goes on every page; but then, that's a story for another day...

Don Thomas: I don't have to keep it pure.  I think it is important to solidly craft your particular Fantasy setting, but with that said when I write any individual story I generally let the story lead me where it will.  And excellent example of this would be the short story I wrote titled "The Town the Demanded Recompense" which although it could be said that it is a traditional fantasy there are also elements of a stereotypical American Western and a Kurosawa Samurai film.

Lee Houston Jr.: Fantasy is open to a lot of possibilities, so it depends upon what's being blended. I personally loved the Shannara series until Terry Brooks decided to give the realm a post-apocalyptic origin. Still love the Magic Kingdom of Landover, but sadly Brooks doesn't produce as many books in that series. I absolute devoured everything Robert Aspirin, but his estate hasn't released another Myth Adventures book since 2008.

Herika R. Raymer: It depends. For children’s stories, try to keep it as pure as possible. Unfortunately, or fortunately, when writing for young adults and adults the field does get mixed in order to keep attention. After all, there is plenty of horror within fantasy if you select the proper myth. I will admit to trying to keep out vampires, zombies, and technology if at all possible – but sometimes they do mix.

===================================================================

For more information, visit the author's links under the Heavy Hitters column on the right side of this blog.