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What are key features and pacing in a satisfying ending to a science fiction novel?
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My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist driving the action by working toward their want. And so on. The shape of my novel is generally OK, but by the time I reach the end (climax), I'm simply ready for all the ends to be tied up.
So they are, all the contracts are filled, and by and large the ending does what it needs to. It solves the puzzle, neatly and tidily.
But the ending still feels off to me and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it is too precipitous of a solution, or too little cost after the solution. The ending 'works,' but I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing.
Example: Maybe the best endings throw one last small but unexpected challenge at the heroes, out of the blue. (Like Darth Vader joining the air fight in SW:ANH, maybe some ratchet up of stakes during the climax needs to happen). Or perhaps one of our heroes should die during the ending, maybe it is an emotional note that's missing.
Q: I'm wondering if there's consensus on what makes a great ending. What are the features. I haven't seen anything online about this, and thought you insightful contributors might have thoughts.
science-fiction ending
asked 1 hour ago
DPT
11k22271
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist driving the action by working toward their want. And so on. The shape of my novel is generally OK, but by the time I reach the end (climax), I'm simply ready for all the ends to be tied up.
So they are, all the contracts are filled, and by and large the ending does what it needs to. It solves the puzzle, neatly and tidily.
But the ending still feels off to me and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it is too precipitous of a solution, or too little cost after the solution. The ending 'works,' but I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing.
Example: Maybe the best endings throw one last small but unexpected challenge at the heroes, out of the blue. (Like Darth Vader joining the air fight in SW:ANH, maybe some ratchet up of stakes during the climax needs to happen). Or perhaps one of our heroes should die during the ending, maybe it is an emotional note that's missing.
Q: I'm wondering if there's consensus on what makes a great ending. What are the features. I haven't seen anything online about this, and thought you insightful contributors might have thoughts.
science-fiction ending
asked 1 hour ago
DPT
11k22271
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist driving the action by working toward their want. And so on. The shape of my novel is generally OK, but by the time I reach the end (climax), I'm simply ready for all the ends to be tied up.
So they are, all the contracts are filled, and by and large the ending does what it needs to. It solves the puzzle, neatly and tidily.
But the ending still feels off to me and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it is too precipitous of a solution, or too little cost after the solution. The ending 'works,' but I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing.
Example: Maybe the best endings throw one last small but unexpected challenge at the heroes, out of the blue. (Like Darth Vader joining the air fight in SW:ANH, maybe some ratchet up of stakes during the climax needs to happen). Or perhaps one of our heroes should die during the ending, maybe it is an emotional note that's missing.
Q: I'm wondering if there's consensus on what makes a great ending. What are the features. I haven't seen anything online about this, and thought you insightful contributors might have thoughts.
science-fiction ending
asked 1 hour ago
DPT
11k22271
My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist driving the action by working toward their want. And so on. The shape of my novel is generally OK, but by the time I reach the end (climax), I'm simply ready for all the ends to be tied up.
So they are, all the contracts are filled, and by and large the ending does what it needs to. It solves the puzzle, neatly and tidily.
But the ending still feels off to me and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it is too precipitous of a solution, or too little cost after the solution. The ending 'works,' but I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing.
Example: Maybe the best endings throw one last small but unexpected challenge at the heroes, out of the blue. (Like Darth Vader joining the air fight in SW:ANH, maybe some ratchet up of stakes during the climax needs to happen). Or perhaps one of our heroes should die during the ending, maybe it is an emotional note that's missing.
Q: I'm wondering if there's consensus on what makes a great ending. What are the features. I haven't seen anything online about this, and thought you insightful contributors might have thoughts.
science-fiction ending
science-fiction ending
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DPT
11k22271
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DPT
11k22271
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asked 1 hour ago
DPT
11k22271
asked 1 hour ago
DPT
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asked 1 hour ago
DPT
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11k22271
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2 Answers
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up vote
3
down vote
Leave the readers imagining the future.
For me, at least, a satisfying ending, besides the things you have mentioned, leaves me imagining the future, for the MC(s), and/or for the world they live in.
It should signal a new phase in life for the MC(s). Something has changed, either in them personally, or in the universe more generally. Perhaps they have learned or come to believe something new that will play a role in their lives.
Death can be that kind of thing; the MC's best friend is dead, or their parents or brother or mentor. But it isn't the only thing that can serve.
I have had, in a coming of age story, best friends come to a new (not sexual) understanding of each other. In a new adult story I have had a protagonist, sexually experienced but not previously in love, incidentally in the course of the story fall in love; and after the mission is over the finale is about her going to a new city, that will be her home as she begin her new life with her new love.
An unsatisfying finale is (IMO) "another day at the office". Okay, we saved the world, see you guys in the morning. Gotta run, it's pizza night at my house!
You could say this is an unwritten contract with the reader; that the whole story, all the trials and tribulations, mean something life changing. It doesn't mean the characters can't go on more adventures and change in other ways, but whatever they have done has ramifications for the future.
It does not necessarily have to be about them. A good scifi story with a satisfying ending might be the discovery of FTL, or some new form of FTL. The story ends with hints of how this begins to have impact on the society: The story mattered and the ramifications are becoming apparent.
That is the payoff at the end of the story. Yes, you wrapped everything up, but the reader still wants to know, "What happens next?"
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I recently finished the second rough draft of my fantasy novel. It's not science fiction, but I think arcs and stories have unifying aspects (especially sci-fi and fantasy).
Now, take my words with a grain of salt, because until I'm published, I cannot claim to be a professional, but these are the things I kept in mind when writing my final chapter:
- What plot points remain unresolved, and what makes sense to be resolved in this chapter given the situation? Conversely, what mysteries are best left unsolved? If you intend to resolve something, it's best not to open fifty more questions with your answer, but sometimes you don't need to try an answer anything at all.
- What conflicts remain? How can this best be explored and established in this last opportunity?
- What themes have my novel been trying to explore? Any aspect of said theme that was opened/discussed in the first chapter ideally can be closed here.
- How did my story begin? Whatever it is, give a contrasting scene at the very end of the book, to show things coming full circle.
In my case, this came in the form of, respectively:
- Discussing a long-missing figure from the secondary protagonist's past, establishing that as much as it consumed him, they were long-dead and forgotten, making the primary protagonist finally confront her neglectful mother after growing strong from her adventures, the same girl reuniting with the sister she loved and even establishing that while she had her own adventures, the sister'd been doing some growth of her own. However, certain mysteries, like the protagonist's biological father, are not resolved nor do they need to be.
- The conflict between the primary protagonist and her mother remains, however this time, she can choose to back out of it (as she's allowed herself to be adopted by an attentive father figure, the secondary protagonist). However, in her attempt to forgive her mother, they instead break out into an argument when it's revealed she was only concerned about the protag's going missing because of the reputation damage she suffered as a 'bad mother'. This establishes that no, this conflict and this flaw will likely never change, but ultimately the protag's growth allows her to not care if it's resolved or not; her mother simply isn't worth it.
- Themes of my novel include the idea that people can grow and change, and that the worst people aren't those that have done horrible things in their past or done things to ruin others; it's those that refuse to see the error of their ways and grow as people. Once again, I use the argument between the protag and her unchanged mother, and contrast this with how her sister (and both protags) have changed to make this theme bold and strong throughout the conclusion of the tale.
- My story began with my young, overly idle protagonist trying and failing to get a lie-in because her hedonistic, sex-obsessed mother is loudly making love in the room next to hers. It ends with the protagonist excited to get practising for an archery tournament, and so she's getting an early night despite being bitten by a horse while she fed it. The reason she sleeps soundly is because of a good parental influence bandaging her hand up and making sure she's all right.
This was a bit of a ramble, but I hope I at least provided a semi-decent example of both the thought process and the output I had for formulating a good final chapter.
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
Leave the readers imagining the future.
For me, at least, a satisfying ending, besides the things you have mentioned, leaves me imagining the future, for the MC(s), and/or for the world they live in.
It should signal a new phase in life for the MC(s). Something has changed, either in them personally, or in the universe more generally. Perhaps they have learned or come to believe something new that will play a role in their lives.
Death can be that kind of thing; the MC's best friend is dead, or their parents or brother or mentor. But it isn't the only thing that can serve.
I have had, in a coming of age story, best friends come to a new (not sexual) understanding of each other. In a new adult story I have had a protagonist, sexually experienced but not previously in love, incidentally in the course of the story fall in love; and after the mission is over the finale is about her going to a new city, that will be her home as she begin her new life with her new love.
An unsatisfying finale is (IMO) "another day at the office". Okay, we saved the world, see you guys in the morning. Gotta run, it's pizza night at my house!
You could say this is an unwritten contract with the reader; that the whole story, all the trials and tribulations, mean something life changing. It doesn't mean the characters can't go on more adventures and change in other ways, but whatever they have done has ramifications for the future.
It does not necessarily have to be about them. A good scifi story with a satisfying ending might be the discovery of FTL, or some new form of FTL. The story ends with hints of how this begins to have impact on the society: The story mattered and the ramifications are becoming apparent.
That is the payoff at the end of the story. Yes, you wrapped everything up, but the reader still wants to know, "What happens next?"
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Leave the readers imagining the future.
For me, at least, a satisfying ending, besides the things you have mentioned, leaves me imagining the future, for the MC(s), and/or for the world they live in.
It should signal a new phase in life for the MC(s). Something has changed, either in them personally, or in the universe more generally. Perhaps they have learned or come to believe something new that will play a role in their lives.
Death can be that kind of thing; the MC's best friend is dead, or their parents or brother or mentor. But it isn't the only thing that can serve.
I have had, in a coming of age story, best friends come to a new (not sexual) understanding of each other. In a new adult story I have had a protagonist, sexually experienced but not previously in love, incidentally in the course of the story fall in love; and after the mission is over the finale is about her going to a new city, that will be her home as she begin her new life with her new love.
An unsatisfying finale is (IMO) "another day at the office". Okay, we saved the world, see you guys in the morning. Gotta run, it's pizza night at my house!
You could say this is an unwritten contract with the reader; that the whole story, all the trials and tribulations, mean something life changing. It doesn't mean the characters can't go on more adventures and change in other ways, but whatever they have done has ramifications for the future.
It does not necessarily have to be about them. A good scifi story with a satisfying ending might be the discovery of FTL, or some new form of FTL. The story ends with hints of how this begins to have impact on the society: The story mattered and the ramifications are becoming apparent.
That is the payoff at the end of the story. Yes, you wrapped everything up, but the reader still wants to know, "What happens next?"
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Leave the readers imagining the future.
For me, at least, a satisfying ending, besides the things you have mentioned, leaves me imagining the future, for the MC(s), and/or for the world they live in.
It should signal a new phase in life for the MC(s). Something has changed, either in them personally, or in the universe more generally. Perhaps they have learned or come to believe something new that will play a role in their lives.
Death can be that kind of thing; the MC's best friend is dead, or their parents or brother or mentor. But it isn't the only thing that can serve.
I have had, in a coming of age story, best friends come to a new (not sexual) understanding of each other. In a new adult story I have had a protagonist, sexually experienced but not previously in love, incidentally in the course of the story fall in love; and after the mission is over the finale is about her going to a new city, that will be her home as she begin her new life with her new love.
An unsatisfying finale is (IMO) "another day at the office". Okay, we saved the world, see you guys in the morning. Gotta run, it's pizza night at my house!
You could say this is an unwritten contract with the reader; that the whole story, all the trials and tribulations, mean something life changing. It doesn't mean the characters can't go on more adventures and change in other ways, but whatever they have done has ramifications for the future.
It does not necessarily have to be about them. A good scifi story with a satisfying ending might be the discovery of FTL, or some new form of FTL. The story ends with hints of how this begins to have impact on the society: The story mattered and the ramifications are becoming apparent.
That is the payoff at the end of the story. Yes, you wrapped everything up, but the reader still wants to know, "What happens next?"
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
Leave the readers imagining the future.
For me, at least, a satisfying ending, besides the things you have mentioned, leaves me imagining the future, for the MC(s), and/or for the world they live in.
It should signal a new phase in life for the MC(s). Something has changed, either in them personally, or in the universe more generally. Perhaps they have learned or come to believe something new that will play a role in their lives.
Death can be that kind of thing; the MC's best friend is dead, or their parents or brother or mentor. But it isn't the only thing that can serve.
I have had, in a coming of age story, best friends come to a new (not sexual) understanding of each other. In a new adult story I have had a protagonist, sexually experienced but not previously in love, incidentally in the course of the story fall in love; and after the mission is over the finale is about her going to a new city, that will be her home as she begin her new life with her new love.
An unsatisfying finale is (IMO) "another day at the office". Okay, we saved the world, see you guys in the morning. Gotta run, it's pizza night at my house!
You could say this is an unwritten contract with the reader; that the whole story, all the trials and tribulations, mean something life changing. It doesn't mean the characters can't go on more adventures and change in other ways, but whatever they have done has ramifications for the future.
It does not necessarily have to be about them. A good scifi story with a satisfying ending might be the discovery of FTL, or some new form of FTL. The story ends with hints of how this begins to have impact on the society: The story mattered and the ramifications are becoming apparent.
That is the payoff at the end of the story. Yes, you wrapped everything up, but the reader still wants to know, "What happens next?"
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
answered 46 mins ago
Amadeus
39k245127
39k245127
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
Your first line clinched it in a way I didn't even notice. It's definitely something I did (as I mentioned, my protag ends the story looking forward to an archery tournament at her new home), but I hadn't consciously identified that as part of the process. Nicely done.
– Matthew Dave
41 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
OK, that's all good, and focused on the final chapter which is indeed the ending, but what about the final battle before the final chapter? ??? I think there's something too pat in my battle. Any thoughts?
– DPT
18 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I recently finished the second rough draft of my fantasy novel. It's not science fiction, but I think arcs and stories have unifying aspects (especially sci-fi and fantasy).
Now, take my words with a grain of salt, because until I'm published, I cannot claim to be a professional, but these are the things I kept in mind when writing my final chapter:
- What plot points remain unresolved, and what makes sense to be resolved in this chapter given the situation? Conversely, what mysteries are best left unsolved? If you intend to resolve something, it's best not to open fifty more questions with your answer, but sometimes you don't need to try an answer anything at all.
- What conflicts remain? How can this best be explored and established in this last opportunity?
- What themes have my novel been trying to explore? Any aspect of said theme that was opened/discussed in the first chapter ideally can be closed here.
- How did my story begin? Whatever it is, give a contrasting scene at the very end of the book, to show things coming full circle.
In my case, this came in the form of, respectively:
- Discussing a long-missing figure from the secondary protagonist's past, establishing that as much as it consumed him, they were long-dead and forgotten, making the primary protagonist finally confront her neglectful mother after growing strong from her adventures, the same girl reuniting with the sister she loved and even establishing that while she had her own adventures, the sister'd been doing some growth of her own. However, certain mysteries, like the protagonist's biological father, are not resolved nor do they need to be.
- The conflict between the primary protagonist and her mother remains, however this time, she can choose to back out of it (as she's allowed herself to be adopted by an attentive father figure, the secondary protagonist). However, in her attempt to forgive her mother, they instead break out into an argument when it's revealed she was only concerned about the protag's going missing because of the reputation damage she suffered as a 'bad mother'. This establishes that no, this conflict and this flaw will likely never change, but ultimately the protag's growth allows her to not care if it's resolved or not; her mother simply isn't worth it.
- Themes of my novel include the idea that people can grow and change, and that the worst people aren't those that have done horrible things in their past or done things to ruin others; it's those that refuse to see the error of their ways and grow as people. Once again, I use the argument between the protag and her unchanged mother, and contrast this with how her sister (and both protags) have changed to make this theme bold and strong throughout the conclusion of the tale.
- My story began with my young, overly idle protagonist trying and failing to get a lie-in because her hedonistic, sex-obsessed mother is loudly making love in the room next to hers. It ends with the protagonist excited to get practising for an archery tournament, and so she's getting an early night despite being bitten by a horse while she fed it. The reason she sleeps soundly is because of a good parental influence bandaging her hand up and making sure she's all right.
This was a bit of a ramble, but I hope I at least provided a semi-decent example of both the thought process and the output I had for formulating a good final chapter.
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I recently finished the second rough draft of my fantasy novel. It's not science fiction, but I think arcs and stories have unifying aspects (especially sci-fi and fantasy).
Now, take my words with a grain of salt, because until I'm published, I cannot claim to be a professional, but these are the things I kept in mind when writing my final chapter:
- What plot points remain unresolved, and what makes sense to be resolved in this chapter given the situation? Conversely, what mysteries are best left unsolved? If you intend to resolve something, it's best not to open fifty more questions with your answer, but sometimes you don't need to try an answer anything at all.
- What conflicts remain? How can this best be explored and established in this last opportunity?
- What themes have my novel been trying to explore? Any aspect of said theme that was opened/discussed in the first chapter ideally can be closed here.
- How did my story begin? Whatever it is, give a contrasting scene at the very end of the book, to show things coming full circle.
In my case, this came in the form of, respectively:
- Discussing a long-missing figure from the secondary protagonist's past, establishing that as much as it consumed him, they were long-dead and forgotten, making the primary protagonist finally confront her neglectful mother after growing strong from her adventures, the same girl reuniting with the sister she loved and even establishing that while she had her own adventures, the sister'd been doing some growth of her own. However, certain mysteries, like the protagonist's biological father, are not resolved nor do they need to be.
- The conflict between the primary protagonist and her mother remains, however this time, she can choose to back out of it (as she's allowed herself to be adopted by an attentive father figure, the secondary protagonist). However, in her attempt to forgive her mother, they instead break out into an argument when it's revealed she was only concerned about the protag's going missing because of the reputation damage she suffered as a 'bad mother'. This establishes that no, this conflict and this flaw will likely never change, but ultimately the protag's growth allows her to not care if it's resolved or not; her mother simply isn't worth it.
- Themes of my novel include the idea that people can grow and change, and that the worst people aren't those that have done horrible things in their past or done things to ruin others; it's those that refuse to see the error of their ways and grow as people. Once again, I use the argument between the protag and her unchanged mother, and contrast this with how her sister (and both protags) have changed to make this theme bold and strong throughout the conclusion of the tale.
- My story began with my young, overly idle protagonist trying and failing to get a lie-in because her hedonistic, sex-obsessed mother is loudly making love in the room next to hers. It ends with the protagonist excited to get practising for an archery tournament, and so she's getting an early night despite being bitten by a horse while she fed it. The reason she sleeps soundly is because of a good parental influence bandaging her hand up and making sure she's all right.
This was a bit of a ramble, but I hope I at least provided a semi-decent example of both the thought process and the output I had for formulating a good final chapter.
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
I recently finished the second rough draft of my fantasy novel. It's not science fiction, but I think arcs and stories have unifying aspects (especially sci-fi and fantasy).
Now, take my words with a grain of salt, because until I'm published, I cannot claim to be a professional, but these are the things I kept in mind when writing my final chapter:
- What plot points remain unresolved, and what makes sense to be resolved in this chapter given the situation? Conversely, what mysteries are best left unsolved? If you intend to resolve something, it's best not to open fifty more questions with your answer, but sometimes you don't need to try an answer anything at all.
- What conflicts remain? How can this best be explored and established in this last opportunity?
- What themes have my novel been trying to explore? Any aspect of said theme that was opened/discussed in the first chapter ideally can be closed here.
- How did my story begin? Whatever it is, give a contrasting scene at the very end of the book, to show things coming full circle.
In my case, this came in the form of, respectively:
- Discussing a long-missing figure from the secondary protagonist's past, establishing that as much as it consumed him, they were long-dead and forgotten, making the primary protagonist finally confront her neglectful mother after growing strong from her adventures, the same girl reuniting with the sister she loved and even establishing that while she had her own adventures, the sister'd been doing some growth of her own. However, certain mysteries, like the protagonist's biological father, are not resolved nor do they need to be.
- The conflict between the primary protagonist and her mother remains, however this time, she can choose to back out of it (as she's allowed herself to be adopted by an attentive father figure, the secondary protagonist). However, in her attempt to forgive her mother, they instead break out into an argument when it's revealed she was only concerned about the protag's going missing because of the reputation damage she suffered as a 'bad mother'. This establishes that no, this conflict and this flaw will likely never change, but ultimately the protag's growth allows her to not care if it's resolved or not; her mother simply isn't worth it.
- Themes of my novel include the idea that people can grow and change, and that the worst people aren't those that have done horrible things in their past or done things to ruin others; it's those that refuse to see the error of their ways and grow as people. Once again, I use the argument between the protag and her unchanged mother, and contrast this with how her sister (and both protags) have changed to make this theme bold and strong throughout the conclusion of the tale.
- My story began with my young, overly idle protagonist trying and failing to get a lie-in because her hedonistic, sex-obsessed mother is loudly making love in the room next to hers. It ends with the protagonist excited to get practising for an archery tournament, and so she's getting an early night despite being bitten by a horse while she fed it. The reason she sleeps soundly is because of a good parental influence bandaging her hand up and making sure she's all right.
This was a bit of a ramble, but I hope I at least provided a semi-decent example of both the thought process and the output I had for formulating a good final chapter.
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
I recently finished the second rough draft of my fantasy novel. It's not science fiction, but I think arcs and stories have unifying aspects (especially sci-fi and fantasy).
Now, take my words with a grain of salt, because until I'm published, I cannot claim to be a professional, but these are the things I kept in mind when writing my final chapter:
- What plot points remain unresolved, and what makes sense to be resolved in this chapter given the situation? Conversely, what mysteries are best left unsolved? If you intend to resolve something, it's best not to open fifty more questions with your answer, but sometimes you don't need to try an answer anything at all.
- What conflicts remain? How can this best be explored and established in this last opportunity?
- What themes have my novel been trying to explore? Any aspect of said theme that was opened/discussed in the first chapter ideally can be closed here.
- How did my story begin? Whatever it is, give a contrasting scene at the very end of the book, to show things coming full circle.
In my case, this came in the form of, respectively:
- Discussing a long-missing figure from the secondary protagonist's past, establishing that as much as it consumed him, they were long-dead and forgotten, making the primary protagonist finally confront her neglectful mother after growing strong from her adventures, the same girl reuniting with the sister she loved and even establishing that while she had her own adventures, the sister'd been doing some growth of her own. However, certain mysteries, like the protagonist's biological father, are not resolved nor do they need to be.
- The conflict between the primary protagonist and her mother remains, however this time, she can choose to back out of it (as she's allowed herself to be adopted by an attentive father figure, the secondary protagonist). However, in her attempt to forgive her mother, they instead break out into an argument when it's revealed she was only concerned about the protag's going missing because of the reputation damage she suffered as a 'bad mother'. This establishes that no, this conflict and this flaw will likely never change, but ultimately the protag's growth allows her to not care if it's resolved or not; her mother simply isn't worth it.
- Themes of my novel include the idea that people can grow and change, and that the worst people aren't those that have done horrible things in their past or done things to ruin others; it's those that refuse to see the error of their ways and grow as people. Once again, I use the argument between the protag and her unchanged mother, and contrast this with how her sister (and both protags) have changed to make this theme bold and strong throughout the conclusion of the tale.
- My story began with my young, overly idle protagonist trying and failing to get a lie-in because her hedonistic, sex-obsessed mother is loudly making love in the room next to hers. It ends with the protagonist excited to get practising for an archery tournament, and so she's getting an early night despite being bitten by a horse while she fed it. The reason she sleeps soundly is because of a good parental influence bandaging her hand up and making sure she's all right.
This was a bit of a ramble, but I hope I at least provided a semi-decent example of both the thought process and the output I had for formulating a good final chapter.
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
edited 9 mins ago
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
answered 50 mins ago
Matthew Dave
3,100427
3,100427
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
Thank you. It's great to see itemized thoughts and responses.
– DPT
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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