Writing Endings

[inevitableentresol]

I have a real trouble writing endings. I plan my ending, I can see it, and then just a little from the final push I often grind to a halt.

This has happened to me many times. It always seems to be for a different reason. So far these have included:

> I hit a plot point I hadn't worked out yet, or forget what I'd decided to do about it.
> There are so many threads to tie up and my brain busts something trying to hold onto them all.
> I get worried readers won't like how the story is going to end.
> I get sucked into research instead and never come out.
> I get crippling embarrassment that my story is rubbish, and if I don't finish it, I never have to show it to anyone.
> I get distracted by other ideas for stories and lose momentum.
> Story fatigue. My brain just wants a break from these characters or the setting.
> Or conversely, I'm enjoying the story so much I don't want it to end.

Does anyone else have trouble with endings? How did you solve it? Or are some stories just better off staying unfinished?

About half the time, I breeze right through to the end of a story no problem. I don't know what makes these any different than the ones that I have trouble with.

Any thoughts? What works for you?

Comments

[sarillia]

I have no idea what's normal. Writing is one of those things where it seems like no matter what your method is, you're probably worried you're doing it wrong because there's so much conflicting information and advice. As far as I can tell, you just have to figure out what works for you and try to ignore the people insisting there's a Right Way.

[inevitableentresol]

Great advice, thank you. :)

Sometimes people try to give me how-to-write books as presents. I pass them all on unread for exactly this reason. Even if there was good stuff in them, it's just not worth it on the offchance they'll make me feel like I'm doing it all wrong and tense up.

Every time I read writing advice online, even from writers I admire, I disagree with most of what they say. The only exception, for some reason, is Graham Linehan. I get a lot from his commentaries.

[splinteredstar]

Yeah, seriously. I have read a dozen "advice for writers" books and maybe gotten three useful bits of information, and a great deal of "well you're clearly doing that wrong".