How to Write the END of Your Story and Leave a Lasting Impact on Your Readers
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2024
- Not sure how to end your story? You want to write an unforgettable ending that will leave a lasting impression on your readers… but how do you pull that off in a powerful way? In today’s podcast, Abbie and I share the most important keys to writing an emotional and satisfying ending for your story. Whether you’re writing a standalone or a series - whether it’s a sweet rom-com or an epic dark fantasy - this episode will help you to craft your next amazing ending! Grab a notebook and let's get started.
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_"They do something at the end that they could not have done in the beginning..."_ Such a simple statement yet it somehow unlocks a door in my creative psyche that I didn't even know was there to begin with 🤯
yes, that statement was awesome. Helped me out a lot, too
The edge of your seat reference is for movies. No sits on the edge of their seat reading a book.
The sinplicity of this tip is indeed out if this world!
04:30 When the ending is not a massive battle
- For some genres such as contemporary, literary, romance
- Only involves family and friends
- Or protagonists facing their greatest fear
- Or some small challenge they have been trying to overcome throughout the story
- It's more about the character's internal emotions
- The reader wants to see how the internal conflict, explored for so long, ends
- (see previous video on heightening internal conflict)
05:50 Different stakes for different characters
- Applies to all genres
- Stakes, consequences, should be uniquely higher for the main character
Up the internal conflict for the main character
- Dig deeper into who the character is
- Show how this end game moment connects with what they've been pursuing this whole time, their fears, their misbelief
07:15
Show them learning something, realising their misbelief at the end
- Their want is not their need
- What they need is outside their comfort zone
- Their fear has been holding them back
07:49 The climax is them climbing over the wall
What is the wall, hurdle, the proof of change, something they couldn't have done in the beginning?
- Defeating that big Fantasy army
- Reconciling with someone
- Admitting a truth
- Reigniting a passion
Otherwise, the story feels flat because the character doesn't change
09:20 Even with a negative character arc, the person should change
- Due to the person punching back at the plot
- Can be subtle, like a perspective change
10:10 Flat character arcs
- The person with a flat character, serves a function for another character
- Suitable for a side character
If is a main character
- Should still go on an emotional journey
- Struggles with conflict and making decisions
- Example: Jane Bennett, Pride and Prejudice
- Example: Margaret Schlegel, Howard's End
14:25 It's not about what happened in the plot
- It's about who these characters have become because of what has happened
- We have to care about the characters, step into their shoes, see through their eyes
- It doesn't have to be a life and death scenario
16:00 At the end
- How have they changed, even in subtle ways?
- How has their perspective changed?
- How has their decisions impacted other characters - for better or worse?
- How do they come to terms with who they are, who they have become?
- How has everything that has happened, led to this moment?
16:45 For a book series
- Doesn't have to be a total resolution
- Not all the loose ends need to be tied up
- Set up the inciting incident for the next book
- Give enough closure while keeping the door open for new story possibilities, opening a new can of worms
- Close subplots that won't be returning in the next book
18:37 Spotlight the end
- Even for subtle or flat arcs
- Readers can reflect on the characters' journey
- How every little decision has led them to this moment
- How this has had a greater impact on the other characters
- How things have changed because of their internal struggles
- Focus on the emotional aspect
- How the events have changed the characters internally
- How would the reader feel if they were them and went through those struggles, understood their perspective
- Leave the reader with a feeling, something to think about
20:38 What do you want your readers to be thinking about at the end of your book?
- Theme
- The one truth you want to communicate
- The closing image
- What readers feel when they close the book - positive, alive
22:20 Recap
- Don't make it exciting, make it emotional
- Focus on what is happening inside the characters
- What are the stakes for the main character, different from the other characters
- How would the reader feel if they were that character
- Can be a simple premise
- Have the character realize their misbelief
- See where we started and where we ended up
- What wall did they have to jump over
- What transformation took place, even a small one, a shift in perspective
God bless you for this handy outline.
Thank you so much!
Great video! ❤ Paddington 2 is a good example of a flat character arc done right. He stays the same optimistic bear and mostly everyone around him changes for the better because of him.
What a lovely change from my day studying deep learning techniques. (procrastinating instead of plotting) 😄
The best piece of advice I got from this which never occurred to me until you two said it was: the stakes of each character are different. In my story it's a group of witches who work together at a hall lead by the mc. The main core that starts the hall are all individuals but I still needed something that sets them all apart, and the other characters slowly get added in but aren't quite as important as the core group. The main character struggles with imposter syndrome and that's why the stakes for her are so much higher than her friends. Making them all having different outcomes really helps give them more reason. So thank you!
i started writing my book not knowing I was writing a book. It has been a surprise from the beginning. The chapters came to me out of order sometimes. Now that I have the ending it is going to be so different than what I assumed. This has been quite a ride.
Lynda Camacho, I do the same...write beginning and ending first :)
What I want to know is when you are self-editing...is there EVER a time when you do NOT find many errors? No matter how many times.... ARG!
The ending is usually the first thing I write, then I work backwards to the beginning.
Oh that's interesting I will try it
@@NoorFatima-qx9sh Awesome. Have fun with it. I usually write the introduction first to show the protagonist, their internal conflicts, and a little back story, then jump to the climax and resolution to get the ending I want. Then I work backwards plot point by plot point and think, what logically had to happen to get there. I find it a fun way to write the outline.
@OlettaLiano I find it a great idea. I always forget the ending while writing. And I feel it's so hard to meet the ending which you decided first.
I love these videos. When I get stuck They give my brain a kick start and get me moving again in the right direction.
I appreciate this video, I'm in the final chapters of my story, and I needed a few pointers on how to write the ending.
I think a misconception is that character arc is only character change. Not necessarily. Superhero movies, action movies, thriller movies, and murder mysteries all commonly have main characters who don't "change" from the beginning to the end. Also, many styles of television shows have characters that literally don't change at all (Harvey Specter).
Character arc can be character reveal. It's putting a main character in difficult situations where clear decisions have to be made, and the choices that person makes reveals things about their character, values, and motivations.
This is fantastic! Most people (as well as a relatable protagonist) learn their lessons in stages with mini setbacks or lapses into their weakness as per their enneagram personality.
I really needed this one❤️
Love this video!! It's nice to see different ideas for endings in a story. In my current WIP my protagonist changes and transforms at the end of the story but there is also a cliffhanger at the end as well.
Very good! I definitely believe in ending your story with the thought you want to leave in your reader's head.
Love all your input it is always thought-provoking. Thank you!
Perfect timing, ladies. Thanks a lot. 🤩
This will be extremely helpful later in my book. Thanks so much.
This was sooo helpfu! I like the clarification on character arcs, and how those matter in a story ending. This helped me a lot with understanding my own characters and what needs to happen in my story to set up the ending.
Maybe someday I'll actually GET to the end of this book I'm writing.
Haha, thank you so much! ❤❤❤
Awesome video can’t wait to see more ❤
Should be finished this month. Thanks for all the help!
Oh Abbie! Oh Kate! You Guys Are Amazing. I ALWAYS Learn A Lot From Your Videos. Thank You So Much For Everything You Are Doing.
Great vidoe!! Gave me some great ideas for my ending 😊
I learn so much from this channel; what I’m doing right and wrong; best advice and encouragement for novelists… :)
Thank you for very helpful and inspiring content!
I was wondering what a "flat character arc" would be, and pondered the dad in the film Moonstruck. (Mild spoiler alert because it's only a side story.) His wife found out he was having an affair, and at the dinner table in front of everyone, announced it and said she wanted him to stop. He didn't say a word, but was overcome with emotion enough to pound his fist onto the table, then look up at her and say, "OK." Then the family continued with their dinner as if nothing happened. Yes, it's a comedy, but I'm guessing that might be a bit of one, except for his bout of emotion? He didn't necessarily overcome anything either, but maybe his inability to give in to temptation? They just didn't show anything else from him. He's a family man, and that's the most important thing to him. Well, other than he had an affair.
Hi Abbie! I have found your channel by accident after watching every single writing video and reading billions of articles. I can surely say that you are THE BEST and have gave me so much hope about my writing. I am just 12 and I'm currently in the outlining progress for my first novel. However, I'm facing a huge problem...
I have solid theme, a message that I want to shout on top of my lungs to the world, adorable flawed characters and yes - their internal conflicts. I also have a pretty good idea of the 3rd act and know exactly how my story's going to end. However, I have no idea about the story's external conflict/plot. I was thinking about some possible options, but none of them align with my theme perfectly and I'm afraid that the misalignment between plot and theme might make the novel too complicated and confusing. Please help! How do I come up with a plot from theme and characters? How do I know what mission my characters are going to go on to return with gained experience and wisdom? Thank you❤
Abbie Emmons can give permission to make things happen.
Thanks so much, Kate and Abbie...Once again I'm blown away. You shared so much about the nature of book-ending. As K said that it is subjective. so true. Then again it does open up a very interesting fact -Every reader of a book does establish his or her own rapport, WOW! Food for thought. I will be listening to this video many times more in the near future it is a mind-opener. Much appreciated🙏
🙏
Man every time I click on one of your videos I think it's an unskippable ad
James Bond in most (but not all) of the movies and books would most likely count as flat character arcs.
To name another example, the Killmaster "reboot" of the Nick Carter books that came as James Bond became popular had even flatter character arcs if I remember correctly. With more than 200 books released in the Killmaster series, anything not flat would probably better be described as character arc bumps. So, there is definitely a market for that in certain action driven genres.
Hey! First! Thanks so much for the video. I'm currently trying to begin my story but it's been pretty hard. I just don't know how to translate what I see in my brain into words :( I really know how I want my characters to be but once I write them saying or doing stuff they don't feel like the characters I want them to be.
Heya!
I get that feeling sometimes and end up changing a lot to giving up altogether (please don’t give up).
I would say try and tag a specific color for both the setting and each character. It would be way easier on your brain.
If the character’s color is yellow, it would instantly bring about a feeling of happiness, light, adventure. It should also help you master their voices and reactions as well!
On a scene level, focus on a detail that stands out in the environment, that, when you describe it in your story, it should paint enough picture for readers to imagine. A detail you frequently see in your mind.
Look up actions/ movement verbs. Those literally changed my writing game!
(Chewing is more specific than eating; marching is more specific than walking etc.)
Hope this help! :)
Thank you! Will definitely try this.
@@lyndacamacho1056 I hope it works out for you!
Im trying to pay attention, but that enormous white cup/ bucket holds my attention, lol. I can't imagine how many litres of coffee or whatever, is in there. That's like a whole weeks coffee for me.
If I join Patreon at the entry level will I get access to your Scrivner training?
Could you please do some videos about Arcane?
💯Its ONLY one way to end a story and that's with a 'WTF' Moment👌🏾
So...
I have what might be a stupid question (or observation) about the flat character arc in the main character. It has been mentioned that if your character doesn't have an arc, they are just a punching bag for the plot. If they are simply observing the events around them, or if the story could still happen the same way with any other character in their place, then there is no deep need to care about the character, even if they are cute and endearing in other ways.
After watching this, I recalled at least two stories that were on everyone's top list of greatest hits. Those are Forrest Gump, and Lord of the Rings. I loved both movies, but I have a problem.
Gump is about someone who is just observing historical events, and it's a great walk down memory lane, but otherwise pointless. Frodo is basically walking from point a to point b, while everyone else has a story. With both of these, what is the arc? Did I miss it?
just sayin'
Yeah… you missed it.
Turkish subtitles please
Shawshank Redemption. Andy is a flat character arc. He changes Red. Flat doesn't mean no conflict. Instead of will he overcome his lie, it's will he hold onto his truth.
Lol Happy endings are something you might get at a Thai massage parlor. Beyond that, they don't exist in the real world. I can't stand that Disney brand BS. My fiance's been watching this show, The 3%, there are no 'good' characters in it, everyone's an asshole. Love it, the world portrayed is only slightly better than the real one.
Isn't the point of stories to let us experience something we might not in the real world?
@@Lasmelan It most certainly is. However, a lot of people have a preference for realism in stories as well, otherwise research wouldn't be necessary for an author. In addition, we have a natural fascination with negative environmental changes, to put it bluntly, peace is boring. That's why we're always at war.
@@thefatbat5556 We're always at war with ourselves as it is, without including external conflict into the mix. Even people alone on a deserted island manage to put themselves through turmoil, lol.
@@DreamQuillRose Strangely enough, I completely agree with you. I like your name too.
@@thefatbat5556 Thanks :)
As a Writer myself, I don't really buy all the "conflict", "closure", "tragic", "happy ending" and all the rest of that *overly and hysterically melodramatic* stuff.
Actual Life is not like that. In actual Life people would not likely find themselves just-barely-surviving a Life-or-death situation, coming out on the other side of the conflict with the evil superlord of all crime rings with their mouths open, barely breathing and looking at the audience with blaming looks, a-la-charlston-heston-/-that-jerk-from-the-matrix (or other such hollywoodic inferior action nonsense 😀).
In fact, Books of _such_ kind *are* rather infantile and lame, something a sixteen-year-old might scribble down to himself (only to remember it in later years and laugh at his younger self for being so overly melodramatic all the time LOL).
In my Stories, for the most part, I simply walk with the characters for a while, tell their Story - and then, we part and bid farewell to each other, we might meet again some time in the future, for a sequel or something like that, and we might not.
Sounds like you enjoy the slice-of-life genre. It's definitely more realistic, and soothing. But also a little dull. Exciting stories exist so you don't HAVE to go through melodrama in real life.
I agree that endings don't have to be syrupy-sweet, but they aren't satisfying unless the character(s) learn and grow by the end. Just as we learn and grow in real life.
@@DreamQuillRose Rethinking it, *you were right, and I was wrong.* In fact, personally I Love Fantasy most of all, and - well, I'm really not so sure, what had made me write that comment to begin with... 😕
Maybe I'm in the minority, and I am not trying to be mean, but I need to be a little bit entertained, at least somewhat and find this video very difficult to watch due to its low entertainment value. I keep returning to it and trying to watch, but find it exceedingly boring. I will say, however, that I love most of the other videos, so it's probably just me.
That's happens to me too😩
For me its not anout entertainment.
But its hard for me to understand😅