I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Given two alternative, strong endings to a novel, how to decide which one to use?

Asked by: Crystal Leon

How do you know which novel to end?

How to Write a Satisfying Ending for Your Novel

  1. Know your ending before you start writing. …
  2. Build tension in the leadup to the end. …
  3. Try different endings on for size. …
  4. Leave room for interpretation. …
  5. Ensure that your ending makes sense. …
  6. Evoke emotions. …
  7. Make sure your ending resolves the storyline.


Can a story have two endings?

Having multiple endings is nice, but unless your reader has made a choice to deviate from the path, there should only be one true ending. Otherwise the multiple endings have no extra meaning attached to them.

What are the two types of endings in a story?

6 Types of Story Endings



Resolved ending. Unresolved ending. Expanded ending.

What are the 4 types of endings?

The 4 Types of Story Endings: A Quick Review

  • Comedy/Happy Ending. The characters achieve the Story Goal and the main character ends up better off in the end.
  • Tragedy. The characters fail to achieve the Story Goal and the main character ends up in a worse state in the end.
  • Comi-tragedy. …
  • Tragi-comedy.


How do you give a different ending for a story read?

Here are a few elements that can make for a great ending for your book or story:

  1. The “right” ending. …
  2. The unpredictable element. …
  3. The plot twist. …
  4. The dark moment. …
  5. The emotional epiphany/change. …
  6. The could-have-changed-but-didn’t dead end. …
  7. Comingling happy and sad. …
  8. Leave room for interpretation.

How do you write a strong ending?

Here are three strategies from columnist Leonard Pitts for writing powerful kickers.

  1. End with a twist. Give readers a surprise, and take them in a direction they didn’t expect.
  2. End with a quote. A great closing quote is rare. …
  3. End with the beginning. Plant your kicker high in the story, then circle back to it at the end.


How do you write an alternate ending to a short story?

In writing endings are really important to the story. So you can write a great story. But then you have to actually end it so wrap it up so in this activity.

Which novel has two endings?

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens



Dickens actually revised the ending to this classic novel twice.



When two characters are in conflict with each other’s ideas actions or beliefs?

character conflict, also known as man vs. man conflict, involves two characters struggling against each other. The conflict can manifest in different ways, from a physical altercation to irreconcilable differences in morals or beliefs.

What are the best type of endings?

The four best ways to end your story are one of these four types of story endings.

  • Happily Ever After. Definition: The number one way readers love to see a story end is the Happily Ever After, also known as HEA. …
  • The Twist. …
  • Circular. …
  • Interpretive. …
  • Epilogue. …
  • Cliffhanger. …
  • Abrupt. …
  • Combination.


What are the 3 types of endings?

Three Types of Endings

  • The hero fights the villain and wins.
  • The hero fights the villain and loses.




What characteristics are important to the ending of a novel?

The 5 Essential Elements Of A Perfect Ending

  • Narrow your protagonist’s options. There should be a building sense of the inevitable here. …
  • Make everything worse for your protagonist. …
  • Resolve all story lines. …
  • Tie up loose ends. …
  • End on a strong note.


How do you get a good ending?

And identify how to emotionally. And meaningfully impact an audience. And then some parts of storytelling must be figured out within the specific context of a particular story.

What is an effective ending mean?

An effective ending seals the readers’ satisfaction with your piece. It leaves them thinking and maybe talking about it long after they have finished reading. A story ending can be either happy or sad; it can leave the reader uplifted or pensive or heartbroken. But it has to feel “right.”

Why is the ending of a story important?

The ending is the most important part of a dramatic narrative: The ending is the part of a drama in which the conflict between the story’s protagonist and whatever antagonistic force is standing in the way of the protagonist achieving his primary motivating goal comes to a head and is finally resolved.



Do endings matter?

The End – No matter what you call it, the resolution of a story is one of the most important aspects of a tale well told. While an entertaining journey is always worth the trip, the destination at the end of the journey cannot help but color our perception of the entire process.

Should I end my novel with a cliffhanger?

When you write a book that’s part of a larger arc of conflict, you want to end in a way that creates closure but also spurs the reader on to the next book. A cliffhanger can certainly do this, but that approach can feel heavy-handed, particularly if the cliffhanger’s only role is to get you to the next book.

What is it called when a book begins and ends the same way?

A story that ends in the same place it began is commonly called a circular or cyclical narrative.

Can you start a story with the end?

To anchor a story we need the beginning (what used to be?), the end (what is now?) and a turning point in the middle (what happened to make things different?). Even a loose timeline like this one can help writers work toward the end, while leaving the middle loose and open.



What is it called when a story starts in the middle?

In medias res is a latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things.” It’s used as a literary term to describe when a story opens with the character already in the middle of things—whether it’s a high octane car chase or a group of friends’ discovery of a dead body, this narrative technique captures the audience’s …

What is it called when a story comes full circle?

Resolution / Conclusion. Referring to the outcome or result of a complex situation or the sequence of events in a literary work, where the aftermath of the story is addressed, everything comes full circle, and a sense of closure may be reached. Alliteration.

What is the theme of the novel?

A literary theme is the main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work. The theme of a story can be conveyed using characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination of all of these elements.

What is literary devices in a story?

Literary devices are specific techniques that allow a writer to convey a deeper meaning that goes beyond what’s on the page. Literary devices work alongside plot and characters to elevate a story and prompt reflection on life, society, and what it means to be human.

Where narrative characters speak to each other?

Dialogue: Where characters of a narrative speak to one another.



What are the common narrative techniques relevant to style?

Common techniques relevant to style, or the language chosen to tell a story, include metaphors, similes, personification, imagery, hyperbole, and alliteration. Common techniques relevant to plot, which is the sequence of events that make up a narrative, include backstory, flashback, flash-forward, and foreshadowing.

What are narrative strategies?

Definition. 1Narrative strategy is a use of certain narrative techniques and practices to achieve a certain goal. The approach adopted and the intended goal, which presuppose certain competences (creative, referential, and receptive), characterise the author of the artistic text.