Ending Stories in Meaningful Ways
Link to "Dynamic Ways to Conclude a Story"
What is a good ending?
“There is no right or wrong approach to crafting a story’s ending, but a good story needs and deserves a good ending.”
Good endings provoke strong emotional responses, sometimes causing readings to cheer, sometimes causing to sob or laugh. Good endings are the ones that stay in readers’ minds long after they have turned the last page of the story. For all of these reasons, writers labor over the endings of their stories, never willing to risk a disappointing ending.
What should it look like when it’s done?
From the Narrative Writing Checklist: “I wrote an ending that connected to what the story is really about. I gave the reader a sense of closure by showing a new realization or insight, or a change in the character/narrator. I might have shown this through dialogue, action, inner thinking, or small action the character takes.
How to I create a good ending?
Ask yourself, “What is my story really about?”
3 things a good ending can include have:
tell how the story ends
tell how you feel about the ending
tell why the event in the story was important to you
Strategies:
Lesson Learned: Close with a personal comment or response to what you have written. It is not the same thing as an opinion. It is more like a personal conclusion you have reached or a lesson you have learned because of the experience you wrote about in your paper.
Example: Riding a roller coaster with someone who is a “chicken” is something I will certainly never do again. I should have listened when Sheila told me she did not want to ride it. I should have let her take the “chicken exit.” Next time I will know better.
Summary: Close with a summary of your main ideas. However, do not repeat yourself word for word; say it in a different way. Also, remember not to insult the reader by saying, "I wrote about..." The reader is smart enough to know what he/she just read.
Example: As you can see, it is not important to know everything, but it is important to know how to find the answer. There will not always be a teacher nearby with the answer. You have to learn how to research, how to dig through sources to find what you need to know.
Question: Close with a question that involves the reader. You can answer the question, or leave it for the reader to decide based on what you wrote. The question must relate to the main idea
Example: It was the worst experience of his life. Andrew decided that it was the last time he would ever go on a roller coaster. Who can blame him?
Beginning of a New Story: When writing a story or personal narrative, you can close with a hint of things to come, or the beginning of a new story--a sequel of sorts.
Example: He was exhausted. It had been a long and difficult week. Javier closed his eyes and thought of the many other adventures that lie ahead.