  Mystery
This week: The end is near Edited by: Arakun the Twisted Raccoon  
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Quote for the week: Some mystery should be left in the revelation of character in a play, just as a great deal of mystery is always left in the revelation of character in life, even in one's own character to himself.~Tennessee Williams
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Where does your story stop?
The seemingly obvious answer is that it stops at the end, but that isn't really true. You, the writer, have the power to stop your story anywhere you want. Some stories stop after all loose ends are tied up and all the reader's questions have been answered. Others end right in the middle of things, leaving the readers with more questions than they had at the beginning. Either type can work, depending on the story. For some stories, the best end point is obvious, and for others you may need to try several different endings before you find the best one. Here are some different types of endings:
 Tied up with a bow
Everything is spelled out and no secrets or questions remain. The murderer is caught, the lovers kiss, and the hero rides off into the sunset. (Or maybe the murderer gets away, the lovers say goodbye, and the hero commits suicide!) Whether your ending is happy or sad, this type of ending is very clear cut, and extending the story would serve no purpose. In classic mystery stories, a brilliant detective like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot gathers all the characters in the parlor, where he exposes the murderer and explains how he figured it out.
 Room for interpretation
This type of ending leaves the reader with a few questions. The answers are implied, but not certain. The mystery seems to be solved but the author plants a subtle doubt in the reader's mind.
 Everything up in the air
Nothing is resolved when the story ends. The narrative stops at the height of the conflict, leaving the reader with tons of questions. Unless you are planning on writing a sequel, be careful of this type of ending in a mystery story, because it is likely to make your readers want to strangle you!
 Twist!
My favorite kind! In a story with a twist, you paint a picture for the reader only to turn it upside down, inside out, or backwards at the end. A twist should be an illusion, rather than a lie. Give the reader all the information, but set it up in such a way that they miss the obvious. Make it unexpected, but believable.
 Back where we started
Some stories end with the main character right back where he started or sometimes with a different character at the point where the main character started. An example might be a story where everyone who goes into a certain house meets a bad end.
Epilogue
An epilogue is a short account of events after the main story is over. For example, if the main story ends with a wedding, an epilogue might show the newlyweds fifty years later. For a well written story, an epilogue is like extra frosting on a cake. It's nice, but not necessary. One exception is "The Burning Court" by John Dickson Carr. It stands alone as a decent story without the epilogue, but the epilogue makes it great. I won't say any more. You'll have to read it yourself!
 Try to avoid a "deus ex machina" ending.
Deus ex machina means "god from the machine". In Greek tragedies, a machine was used to lower actors playing gods to the stage. In literature, it means a contrived, "too convenient" plot device used to get out of a difficult situation. Here are some examples of deus ex machina endings:
-The whole story was a dream.
-An authority figure, such as a king, policeman, teacher, or parent shows up unexpectedly and makes everything all right.
-The killer runs out of bullets.
 Choose an ending that will give the reader the most satisfaction.
If you don't give enough information, readers may feel frustrated and cheated. However, too much information may insult their intelligence. Different readers like different types of endings, so don't expect to please everyone. Listen to reviewers, but also trust your own intuition and listen to your characters. If they insist their story isn't over, it probably isn't!
Something to try
Experiment with different types of endings for a story you've already written. If you don't want to make the change permanent, copy and paste it into another item. |
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Mystery: August 15, 2012 Issue [#5201]
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