Endings – or how to ‘stick the landing’  

I thought it would be nice to start this newsletter with a profound quote about what makes a satisfying ending. What a fool. It was immediately clear that the internet has as many opinions on what makes a good novel ending as whether pineapple belongs on pizza.  

I should have seen this coming, because even among my author friends there is huge variety in our approach to endings. Some of us absolutely have to know the ending before we start writing, seeing it as a destination to be driving towards even if there are detours along the way. Some of us like to set out without a map, excited to see where the journey takes us. Some of us love ambiguous endings while others want to wrap absolutely everything up. For some, the most important thing is a last-minute twist.  

So in lieu of an amazing catch-all quote, I will tell you how I approach endings. But I will also remind you that reading helps develop writing muscles. As a reader, you know instinctively when a story is heading for its conclusion. You know which endings you have found satisfying and remember years later. You also know which endings have felt like a damp squib, a cheat, a “what on earth just happened”?  

Even if you have never written an ending to a novel before, you have experienced hundreds, probably thousands of them. As ever, listen to your internal reader!  

I don’t always know how my books will end

This makes me jittery, so I have to have an ending idea before starting out. I outline my novels before I begin a first draft. But that first draft is exploratory and about halfway through, I’ll realise I know so much more about the characters but also what is and isn’t working with the plot. So I never get to the end of that very first draft.  Sometimes, I have several false starts and they all teach me something valuable to take into the next version.  

When I start the first full draft, the one that I know I will finish, I will know the ending.  

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I don’t save everything for the final page

If you cook someone a three-course meal, you don’t serve everything up all at once. The main course will go cold while they eat their starter, the ice cream will melt before they get to it. Your dinner guest won’t have time to savour and enjoy each dish.  

It’s the same with ‘reveals’ and wrapping up plots and sub-plots. Give each reveal and resolution a little space to breathe. Let some smaller sub-plots conclude in the run up to the end, as an appetizer for the main conclusion.   

Consider if all the storylines need to run that far or if a midpoint reveal might lift the pace, while surprising and delighting the reader.  

Reflect the ending

You don’t have to lay this on too thick, but having a mirroring moment to the opening chapter will remind readers how far a character has come. For example, if a character runs away from something in the opening chapter, have them stand their ground in the final chapter.  

Ambiguity and playing fair

Ambiguous endings are controversial. That’s why people are still arguing over the Sopranos ending nearly 20 years on. If you’re going to let readers decide how a story ends, it’s important to play fair. Give them enough tools to draw a conclusion even if you’re not confirming that conclusion on the page.  

Consider how you want your readers to feel

It’s a huge privilege for a reader to trust me with ten or more hours of their life by reading my book. I get to plant stories, images and characters in their minds, and that’s a serious honour.  

I give a lot of thought to how I want them to feel after they finish my novel and what impact I want it to have on them. It’s not just about answering the narrative questions established in the beginning, it is also about giving them something to keep.  

Do you want to give them hope? Do you want them to feel inspired to try something new or make a change? Maybe you want to leave them scared or thrilled? I like to stay with them while they reflect on the story, but some authors like to cut away early. What do you like as a reader? Chances are, that’s the kind of ending you’d also enjoy writing.  

And just remember, you don’t have to get it right first time. Like parking in a tight space, endings can take multiple attempts! You will get there in the end, and your satisfied readers will never know how many swearwords and balled up pieces of paper it took. Good luck!