Tips for Writing a Satisfying Story Ending
This article may contain affiliate links. This means we might make a small commission on anything you buy through a link on this page. This comes at no extra cost to you. Commissions help us to run our free 7 Day Story Writing Challenges.
Article by: L. L. Wright, freelance writer at Globe Soup.
Finishing your story can be a brilliant feeling as an author, when everything comes together and you get to write those two little words we all long for: The End.
But how can you ensure that it is just as satisfying to read as it was for you to write?
To help you leave your readers basking in your brilliance rather than cursing your name, I’ve compiled this guide for you on how to write a satisfying ending to your story. And if you’re still struggling to make that ending hit just right, I also have a few personal tips and tricks for you that I fall back on when I need to.
So without further ado, let’s get started. And finished. After all, “ending” is the name of the game.
But before you can write your ending, you have to…
Decide What Kind of Ending You Want
Just as there’s more than one way to skin a cat (apparently, I can’t say I’ve ever tried it myself) there’s more than one way to end a story. Deciding which approach is right for you will depend on the genre of the piece and what kind of impression you want to leave your readers with.
You can find numerous lists on the subject and they’ll all give you pretty much the same information (plus or minus one ending option). I’d suggest checking out any and all of those links for more details, but the six main types of endings discussed in them are as follows:
Resolved Ending:
ties up all the plot threads neatly
doesn’t leave the reader with lingering questions
good for romance, standalone stories, and the last book in a series
Unresolved Ending:
resolves the central conflict of the story
leaves some loose threads, making the reader question what will happen next
good for a book in the middle of a series, and for making your readers hate you in a good way
Ambiguous Ending:
keeps things open to interpretation, leaving the reader with what-ifs and maybes
different from unresolved in that there is no more story to tell, but can let readers choose to believe different ‘versions’ of the end
good for horror and for keeping your story in a reader's head by encouraging debate
Surprise Ending:
ends with a twist the reader didn’t see coming.
the important thing to remember here is that though it should surprise your reader, once they know the ending they should be able to see the foreshadowing
good for thrillers and mysteries
Tied Ending:
brings a story back to the beginning either literally or metaphorically where the differences show how the character or world has changed
good for the classic hero’s journey or pretty much any type of story (and my personal favourite)
Expanded Ending:
expands the story beyond the main plot's events, often by skipping forward in time via an epilogue
gives the reader a window into the lives of the characters beyond the plot
good for when you want to answer questions your readers may be left with but not to be used to skip over the actual ending — approach with caution
There can be some cross-over between these classifications of ending, but choosing which you're aiming for can help focus and clarify your intentions for the story as a whole.
And once you’ve made that decision, it’s time to…
Plan Ahead (Or Be Prepared to Edit)
No matter how well-written your ending is, it won’t be satisfying if it doesn’t fit your story. One of the best ways to ensure that your ending delivers on the promise your story has made to the reader is to know your ending before you even start writing.
This allows you to establish the threads you will bring together and tie off. It allows you to gradually build toward that final destination. It allows you to foreshadow the ending so that everything falls into place with a satisfying *click*.
“But what if I’m a dedicated pantser?” I hear half of you cry in panic.
Well, fear not, for I too find myself in that camp. Many times I will start writing with a particular plot or ending in mind, but as I spend more time with the world and characters my perceptions and expectations will change. And that’s okay. It just means that us pantsers might have to spend a little more time editing to make sure that our beginning and middle are consistent with our end to deliver on all those things I mentioned above.
Not that that means you plotters get out of editing, of course, just that you might have a slightly easier job with this element of it.
Then, once you’ve planned out what your ending will be (or once you’ve found your way there via a meandering plot) you should make sure to…
Include These Key Elements
Build Tension
In order to make your ending really hit home, you need to build the tension up before you get there. Show us what the stakes are. Limit your main character's options. Make the reader doubt how this is going to turn out by throwing obstacles in their path.
As the old saying goes, the night is always darkest before the dawn. This also holds true for really satisfying story endings.
Resolve Plot Points
Once you’ve wound the tension so tight your reader can barely take it, that is when you give them that sweet release.
When whatever you’ve been building towards all this time finally happens it should resolve the main plot of the novel. But along the way, you also need to resolve any subplots and character arcs you’ve introduced. Generally, it’s a good idea to resolve the minor subplots before the main plot so that you end on a strong note, but there’s some wiggle room here.
If you’re going for an unresolved ending then there might still be some wider, overarching plot points left unresolved, but whatever the central conflict of this story is should feel complete. For example, in “The Hunger Games” the major plot points are resolved — Katniss has won the games and made it home to her family — but she’s still living in a broken society and wondering what the wider consequences of her actions will be.
And if you’re going for an ambiguous ending, the way the plot is resolved can be… well, ambiguous. For example, a story could end with two estranged lovers taking each other’s hands, leaving the reader to wonder whether they are simply reconnecting as friends or something more.
Show What’s Changed
This is the part I like to call “So what was the point of all that then?”.
In almost every story, the events described will have changed the characters, the world they live in, or both. There are, of course, some exceptions to that rule, when focusing on the futility of trying to change or telling a truly cyclical story. But even if the world and the characters haven’t changed, the story should have changed the reader’s perception of them.
Remember something should have changed and the ending is where you really hammer that change home.
End Strong
Okay, so I know that this might seem like an obvious statement given the purpose of this guide, but I think it’s worth saying anyway. It can be tempting to keep adding another thing and another until everything just starts to feel like it’s gradually trailing off. It can also be tempting to try and throw in shock twists or reveals. Don’t. Unless you truly think it fits the ending that you are aiming for.
This is where the earlier sections about deciding on your ending really come in handy. Whatever you decided on and whatever you’ve been building towards, commit to it completely.
The ending should be in keeping with the tone you have established. It should evoke a strong emotion in your reader. And most importantly it should fit your story.
I know that this can be hard to do, so I’ve included some of my own tips and tricks for making sure I achieve this.
My Tips and Tricks
Bring things back to the beginning
So I already mentioned that a tied ending is my favourite kind. The reason for that is that bringing things back to the beginning is a great way to show what has changed while achieving a strong ending.
It could be that your character returns to the literal location they started at. Having them view their former home through new eyes will show us how much the story has changed them and can have a great, bittersweet emotional gut punch.
Returning to a choice they were faced with before is also a great option. Having them choose differently really showcases the character development.
And one of my favourite ways to end a story is to return to the opening line. If you can find a way to work in some or all of your opening sentence but have the meaning be forever altered in the reader's mind, it will be such a satisfying moment.
Remember reader expectations of genre
I already mentioned that you want to end by evoking a strong emotion in your reader, but that doesn’t always have to be a positive emotion. The choice depends on the genre and the expectations you’ve established in your story.
If people pick up a romance story, they expect a happily ever after and will feel disappointed and cheated if you don’t give it to them. A horror story should leave people unsettled or scared. A comedy should leave them chuckling or feeling uplifted.
Tragedy striking at the end with a character's death or something similar can be a good way to deliver a solid gut punch of emotion, but if the reader doesn’t think that it has been earnt it will feel cheap. This is where planning (or editing) comes in handy.
Something that helps a lot here is reading in the genre you’re writing in. As is often the case in writing, one of the best ways to improve your own stories is to read others.
Try out different endings to find the one that fits
If you're struggling with deciding on the best ending for your story, you can try plotting out or even drafting a few. See which one feels right to you. Which delivers that strong emotion? Which provides that satisfying click?
And if you really can’t decide between the different options, flip a coin. It may sound silly, but this is my favourite way to decide between options. If you’re happy with what the fates decide, then great. Go with it and write that ending. If you’re disappointed with the result, then you have your answer as to which you really wanted to choose.
Think of the story as a question and answer
This is something I learnt from a wonderful writer friend and it has stuck with me ever since. If you think of the story as establishing a question in the opening — how can I save my village, why must the world be like this, who should I end up with, what could possibly go wrong — then the ending should be the answer.
Get feedback from readers and writers
My final tip is one that I will repeat again and again to anyone who will listen. Learning to write on your own is a long and difficult task. Getting help from others speeds up the process more than I could ever explain.
Find a community of writers, whether that’s locally and in person or online. Brainstorm with them and test out your ideas while listening to any wisdom they have to pass on.
Find people to beta-read your work. You will always be too close to your own stories to truly appreciate how an ending will be received by a reader. Foreshadowing which might seem obvious to you will go completely unnoticed. An ending that seems far too obvious will take them by surprise. They’ll be able to tell you what questions they’re left with and how the ending made them feel.
You can use feedback to refine and improve until you have the perfect story ending.
Remember, while the opening might be what draws a reader into your world, the ending is what will sit with them for the longest. Hopefully, this guide will help you craft an ending with the lasting impression that you want. Then, everyone — readers and writers alike — will feel satisfied when we reach those two little words.
THE END
L. L. Wright is a physicist by day and a freelance writer by night. They came to fiction writing as a way to escape to worlds they could fully control, unlike their plasma physics experiments and simulations. They enjoy playing in different genres and forms of writing, finding something to love in almost all of them, and they're keen to share that love with anyone who'll listen. Their micro horror story "Don't Drink" was published on 101 Words, their short horror story "The Call of the Sea" will be published in Black Hare Press's *YEAR FIVE: Dark Moments and Patreons*, and their romance flash-fiction piece "Love Forty" will soon be available on the Calliope Interactive App. They also regularly post short stories and chapters of ongoing web serials to their subreddit.