How to Write a Great Ending
Updated: 4 days ago
Your eyes zoom to the last line. Finished. You sit for a moment, soaking it in. Then you go back to reread the final scene, wanting to experience again those last delicious lines and the emotions they stir.
Some book endings just hit you in the best possible way. They leave you in a state of almost unreality – it’s just you and the characters and the journey you’ve been through together. But, as a writer, you know that creating that kind of ending is actually very, very hard.
Lately I’ve read quite a few engaging books that completely crash-landed their ending. In one, the plot reveal and denouement were shoved into a few measly pages that should have been several scenes. In another, the character had just become a lord in a supernatural place, and he’s all, “No way am I going back there!” And this was not character growth on his part—it was plain disappointing.
These kinds of endings leave a bad taste in my mouth. In a way, it feels like a betrayal from the author; I read through your entire book, and this is what you leave me with? Now I don’t want to read the book again or suggest it to others. For me, a bad ending can retroactively cast a good story in a poor light.
So how do we craft an ending that leaves the reader wowed and wanting to read it again?
In short, do this:
Let the reader sink into the resolution
Wrap up plot and character arcs
Put emotion into your final lines
Let’s explore each one.
Give Your Ending Room to Breathe
Post-climax, your protagonist usually needs time to recover and settle into their new world. Your reader wants that as well. They’ve stuck in there the whole time, rode the waves of conflict and inner turmoil. They gave their time and emotions, and now they want to see the return on their investment. They want to see the after.
In The Deathly Harrows, after is Harry in Dumbledore’s office explaining what happened and, of course, the famous epilogue).
In To Kill a Mockingbird, after is recovering from the attack, the decisions made, and Scout walking Boo Radley to his house and then returning home.
In The Book Thief, after is Liesel receiving the notebook from Ilsa, attending the funeral, and then the epilogue with Death.
All of these all the reader to linger in the aftereffects of the climax so they can see where things are now with the protagonist, side characters, and their world.
There are books that can effectively write a single-scene resolution, but that’s not common. Your resolution will usually be multiple scenes so that you can properly show how your changed protagonist is interacting with their changed world. The point is not to write multiple scenes just so your reader can stay in the story longer. Each scene must have a goal and a purpose. But don’t feel the need to cram your resolution into one or two scenes.
Think of the resolution as an exhale. It’s the release after the heightened tension and drama of the climax (and story as a whole, really). The more conflict there was leading up to the climax and in the climax itself, the longer the exhale should be. Let the reader linger in the resolution.
Tie Up Plot Threads and Character Arcs
This may seem obvious. But you’ve also read plenty of books, I’m sure, that did not fully resolve a subplot or address a plot point you’d been thinking about for half the book. There are endings where the character change is more ambiguous or just feels…unsatisfying.
On a plot level, your ending scenes need to explore the following: What has happened to the antagonist? How is the protagonist’s world different now? What wrong has been righted, and what has yet to be resolved? What plot twist revelations must be explained?
Side note: You can always leave off with a cliffhanger for the next book, but the main plotline of this book must be completed by the end. (For example, one Alex Rider novel leaves off with him shot in the chest, but the main plot and goal of that book was resolved.)
On a character level, you need to show the following: How has the protagonist changed? (See “How to Write a Character Arc that Actually Works” for more on that.) How can we see that they have learned the theme/lesson and are applying it to their life? (Showing is very important here, not telling.) How has their relationship with the B Character and other side characters changed?
I want you to go a step further, though, and think about what kinds of scenes and settings will most effectively show the above changes. Often establishing contrast between the opening and the ending (where the character is; who they encounter; and how they interact with them) is an effective way to show this.
The important thing is to make clear to the reader that the character they started out with—in whom they invested time, energy, and emotions—has completed their arc and become transformed. If they were a coward and failed to stand up for their friend at the beginning of the book, they should without hesitation be able to support those weaker than they by the end. (If they can’t, that means the story is a Tragedy a la Shakespeare.)
Make Your Final Lines Count
This is when you should say, “Well, DUH, Adina. But how do I DO that?”
Final lines are soooooo hard. I spent forever worrying at mine, and (confession time) sometimes I’m still not sure I love the last line.
There are a few things to remember here. First off:
Don’t put so much pressure on the very last line. The last line will only be as powerful as the ones preceding it. If the final scene as a whole is strong, then you can have an okay final line that still leaves the reader satisfied. And to have a strong final scene (and ending) you need to…
Bring back the theme. You’ll do this regardless since your ending will show how your protagonist has learned the theme. But a specific line that reflects the theme carries the weight of everything the character has experienced. The reader sees them finally own it, and that causes a delightful swell of emotion that we love to end a story with. It is what allows the story to linger in the heart of the reader.
A great examples of this is from the memoir Educated:
“You could call this selfhood many things. Transformation. Metamorphosis. Falsity. Betrayal. I call it an education.”
That is both character arc and theme in one.
So consider what your protagonist has learned and how they’ve changed. Now ask yourself: What line of dialogue, line of action, or line of description can reflect that? Sometimes it’s helpful to look back at the beginning of the book and see if any lines there showed the inverse of the theme. Many writers will mirror their final line with one from earlier in the book.
Here’s an example from Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate: On page 19, Jacks says, “There is always a logical explanation for things. I just had to figure out what it was.” Jacks loves facts and logic, things he can explain and wrap his head around—which makes the struggles he encounters and the appearance of a magical friend, Crenshaw, especially challenging for him. By the end, we have this:
When I opened my eyes, Crenshaw was still there.
There had to be a logical explanation.
There’s always a logical explanation.
Meantime, I was going to enjoy the magic while I could.
Jacks has shifted how he sees things and is now able to let the magic in.
But don’t get stuck trying to focus your final lines on theme. That isn’t necessary. Whether or not you decide to echo the theme, the goal of the final line is to evoke emotion. You want your reader to feel something at the very end. So ask yourself again: What line of dialogue, action, or description will make my reader feel something? Draft as many different ending lines as you can, pick the top three that feel the best, and try them on beta readers.
Let’s End This...
A great ending gives your reader time to settle into the resolution, see how the events of the story have changed the protagonist and their world, and feel that the journey has come to a satisfying close. As you revise, look at what still needs resolving, how your protagonist’s growth shows up in their choices, and what you want readers to carry with them when they reach the final line.
And as you play with the final lines, give yourself freedom to linger in that experience too. This is the end of your journey. Enjoy it.
About Adina
Adina Edelman is a book editor who works with authors of memoir and fiction, especially historical, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, literary, and middle-grade fiction. She’s all about mining your message, unearthing the gold in your story—not just the grammar errors.
Adina has worked on over 140 titles in the past six years (and published one of her own). She offers 30-minute coaching sessions alongside her editing services.
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