As we approach the conclusion of NaNoWriMo 2024, those who’ve stuck with their goal are likely nearing the end of their stories.
Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips for novel endings:
Your All-is-lost Moment
As you get to the last scenes of Act II in the classic story structure, you’ll want your character to face a down moment that is deeper than any previous losses. With every scene, the tension should build as the obstacle (enemy) turns up the heat.
Be sure that your lowest point for the character comes close to the end of that second act. Too soon and you’ll fail to deliver on your promise to the reader. Too late and readers may give up. Remember that wherever the climax scene occurs, the story is nearly over.
By this penultimate scene, you want your character to be out of ideas, out of energy, almost ready to pack it in. Almost. Yet for a satisfying story, you must somehow imbue your character with enough grit to try one last time.
The Climax Scene
This One Last Time is called the Climax scene. When your character enters this scene, he/she is at the nadir or lowest point. There isn’t anywhere to go but up. Readers want your character to meet that moment, to find courage they didn’t know they had.
A writer asked me if there can be more than one climax scene. No. Either you write a scene in which the main goal is either realized or not, or your character isn’t quite there yet. Of course there are mini-climaxes along the entire story arc, but you want to save the Big One for last.
The climax scene needs to put the original story question, the character’s main goal, back in front of the reader. Here the character battles the adversary—whether it’s a person or nature or some alien being—in the Final Battle. This is why you must be careful not to write the final battle scene too soon.
Readers want your character to meet that moment, to find courage they didn’t know they had.
Round Up
When the climax scene ends, readers should be able to say whether the character won or lost the original goal. Maybe the character has changed and grown and the goal isn’t apt anymore or has changed. If the climax reveals the answer to the story question, then it’s time to tie up all the loose ends—also known as “rounding up the horses.”
If you have subplots—a side romance, a secondary problem or goal—you’ll need to resolve these after the climax. Going on and on after the climax just frustrates readers who don’t get why the story isn’t wrapping. This resolution or denouement helps readers end on a satisfied note.
You don’t always have to make the ending “happily ever after.” But for novels, there are only a few resolutions or outcomes: Either your character wins and is happy about it; loses and is happy because he’s changed; wins/loses and is unhappy about it or there’s a draw (not recommended). As you finish 2024’s NaNoWriMo, find an ending for your story that satisfies and leaves readers begging for more.
Your shared information is OUTSTANDING!
Thank you, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you, as well.
I read them all and keep copies for more reference and assistance.
Bob