What About Story Endings?

There can be no question. Your first page, your first paragraph must catch the attention of your reader – or they won’t read. But suppose they read your work to the end. A story that begins well must end well. The ending is what your reader will remember. It forms the final impression for your reader, not just of the story, but of you, the author. Consider the following:

Your readers are looking for something. They hope to find it in your story. Wht are they looking for? Most likely, an emotional payoff. The ending should reward them for their emotional investment in your tale.

It should show the result of the conflict (Hopefully, you’ve developed a clear conflict). Has your protagonist reached the goal? Maybe – maybe not. Sometimes a good ending might leave your reader wondering about the final outcome. The ending may not be clear, but may be suggestive of things to come.

A good ending shows the results of your protagonist’s character arc. How has he/she changed because of the struggles encountered in the story? What has been learned?

A good ending will collect all the loose ends and tie them up in a suggestive way – no need to go into detail as this will likely bog down the story.

These are just a few things to think about when ending your story. Take them for what it’s worth.

Advertisement

Rainy Days and Mondays

Hello, again. It’s Monday and it’s raining. Rainy days and Mondays always get . . . well, not necessarily. There is much to do. Places to go. People to see. Business is good as long as it doesn’t turn to busyness. I do believe there is a difference.

Business is actually accomplishing something, regardless of its importance. Busyness is doing for the sake of doing, and that takes away from accomplishing your goals – whether they are goals in writing or anything else you undertake. 

The older I get, the more I realize time is short and there is none to waste. I look back and see all the time that has already been wasted, and I don’t want to go that route anymore. You know what! By looking back, I’ve already wasted time. Keep moving ahead, one foot in front of the other. 

It’s okay to look back if you can learn from your mistakes, but please don’t dwell on them (I’m assuming you’ve made some mistakes, too).  Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” I don’t believe that’s a blank check for anything we may desire. I believe if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will place within us His desires for our life. His desires become our desires. If we delight in the Lord, our goals, our dreams, come from Him and He will fulfill them. Of course, this doesn’t apply if we are full of busyness. Focus on business, and your attempts will be fruitful.

Time Flies

The old saying, “Time flies” certainly is true. My only question is, where is it flying to? It is here for a fleeting nanosecond, and it’s gone forever. There is much to write about. There are many other areas of our lives we need to address. There is much love to share, but in a split second, it’s all gone.

So I will ask, How are you spending your time? Is it profitable? Is it wasted? Will it count for all eternity? The term, “spending time”, means exactly that. You are spending time just as you spend money. You will get what you pay for. There are no special deals or sales in the world of time. Every second you spend is worth something. What are you buying with your time?

Your choice of how you spend your time will determine what comes back to you. Time is fleeting. Time is never still. Time waits for no man (or woman). So I ask again, and hopefully you will seriously consider it – how are you spending your time?