Sometimes a tidy ending just isn’t where the story should go. Should you change it to conform or end it the way you feel deep in your gut it should end? Some genres have specific expectations. A Romance should end happily. A Mystery should be solved. Beyond that, the resolution of your story can be a little more creative.
Every story has a central question. Will the protagonist succeed in his overall story goal? There are multiple answers.
1) Yes. Dick succeeds and there is no gray area or hanging questions. The plot is tied up in a neat little bow. He feels good about it. This is an up ending. Readers love up endings.
2) No. Dick fails and feels bad about it. He fought tirelessly, but in the end just couldn’t win. This is a down ending. Readers hate down endings.
3) Yes, but. Dick succeeds at one thing but fails at another. He succeeds but there are ramifications of his success that carry on into the future. He succeeds but at a terrible cost he didn’t calculate. This is a form of up-down ending.
4) No, and further more. Dick not only fails, but he is further punished or must try again in a sequel. Dick may have been going for the wrong goal and not only does he realize he is wrong, he must take on a new challenge to make it right. Dick fails at his goal, and we realize he was the bad guy all along.
5) Yes and No. Dick thinks he has succeeded or failed in his goal but there is a twist ending and he finds the opposite is true. He can kill monster A only to find out the real monster is B. Dick may win the battle but cause a major war. Dick may succeed but hurt everyone affected. Dick succeeds at his goal but during the final credit roll, he gets nailed by an oncoming bus. This is another type of up-down ending.
6) Maybe Yes/Maybe No. The ending is left ambiguous. It is never made clear what really happened or how the story ends. The reader is left hanging. They may want to hang you. It is a risky artistic choice.
Whichever ending you choose, your story architecture must support it. The ending must grow organically from the actions and decisions leading up to it. You don’t have to make everyone happy. You just have to leave everyone satisfied.
As always, if you find this information useful, please like and share.
The four layer method is laid out in Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict, available in paperback and e-book if you wish to have a copy with all of the information. The theory information is also available on https://dianahurwitz.com/theory.html.
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