When writing, I don’t normally think of the ending. As a matter of fact, I don’t always know the ending. The end doesn’t pop into my head until I’m in the middle of my story. Until then, writing becomes more about discovering what the story is about. For some, that might not be the case. You might already know the ending from the beginning but most often than not, the ending doesn’t turn out the way we envisioned it and that’s okay. The story is always changing.
So, what if the ending doesn’t ever show up? The story grags on and on. The piece becomes longer and longer. A longer piece isn’t so scary but it gets to the point where the drive and motivation to continue evaporates. A few tips I learned along the way are as follow:
1. Plan
You don’t have to have an outline per say but it’s a good idea to know what your character(s) want. Will they achieve this goal at the end? Will they fail? Or maybe they realize that goal isn’t what they wanted. Know your character and the story can write itself and the ending won’t be too far away.
2. Write the ending first.
You might have an idea for a story but you’re having trouble starting. A little exercise I learned is to write the ending. Picture how you want the story to end. That way, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you won’t be bogged down with the details of a started story.
3. Just stop writing.
While this is probably the most obvious, it also doesn’t make sense completely. Sometimes you just have to put down your pen or stop typing and sit back. Take a break. More often than not, you’re just word vomiting. The content might not be related or necessary to the story. Read over what you wrote and figure out where the story stops making sense.
4. Quit.
This is probably the last thing you want to hear. Writing is as important as breathing and eating. It’s a part of who we are. However, saying that, it’s important to know that sometimes a story won’t work out. It doesn’t mean you can’t come back to it but it does mean that you need to close that document or put it in a drawer and forget about it for a few months or years. A story is not always ready to be written and that’s okay.
Do you ever have trouble knowing where your story is going to end? How do you plan the ending? Do you know it first? Don’t forget to share your thoughts and opinions
Until next time, Kassandra.
Dabbling in the Art of Writing 