A great book needs a great ending
I’ve just read two books, back-to-back, whose endings were terrible. This was entirely unexpected as around three-quarters of the way through each, I raved about these books. They were destined to sit on the shelf I reserve for my all-time favourite novels. They were that good.
But then I read the endings, changed my mind, and sent them both off to the charity shop, disappointed, feeling that these authors had let me down. The endings of both were no more than summaries of what the characters did and felt. They read like notes an author might make for a first draft.
Had they run out of time or ideas? Did they get bored? Did they think their brilliant books didn’t need a brilliant ending?
As an advocate of planning novels rather than jumping straight in and seeing where things go, I believe an ending needs to be as carefully planned as the beginning. It takes time to get it right.
It’s an exciting feeling approaching the end of a novel and I appreciate the temptation to race ahead and finish it but my advice to authors is not to rush things. The reader has invested in these characters, has stayed with them for 300 pages and wants them to have a proper ending. An ending these characters (that they’ve loved) deserve. There’s still time for dynamic dialogue, brilliant imagery, precise words and clever sentences. Don’t dial it in just because The End is in sight.
If you’re struggling with your ending ask yourself these questions:
Does your story need to end earlier? If you’ve lost enthusiasm and are simply explaining what each character is up to, consider that your story might need to end earlier. Even several chapters earlier.
Have you got the wrong ending? If you’ve noticed you’re not spending much time on these final pages, come up with a handful of alternative endings and see which one excites you the most as a writer. Be prepared to change your ending.
Are you trying too hard to tie up all the loose endings? Not every character needs to get what they wanted when the novel began. That’s not what happens in real life. (It needs NOT to happen if you’re planning a sequel).
Is there anything in these last chapters that a reader might underline? A brilliant line or image. Make sure you're still doing your best writing as you finish your novel.
If you’d like to work on the ending of your book, you can email me at dluchia@gmail.com
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