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Endings are HARD!

Bridgett Morigna7 Comments

I hate writing the end of stories. I know a lot of people have a hard time getting started, and I don’t think beginnings are particularly easy either. I find beginnings easier to handle because once you’re past a certain point the beginning is behind you and you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Endings loom in the distance. I know from page one that I’ll have to write an ending eventually, but for a long while it’s not a problem. Then, almost out of nowhere, it is time to wrap up the story.

Then I panic. I shut down. Endings are just too hard.

Everything written before has been building up to this ending. That’s a lot of expectations and a lot of baggage to deal with. Anticipation has been building for weeks or even months as I built this story up from a blank page.

I start to lose my nerve. I question my ability to do the story justice. Writer’s block sets in.

I can keep pushing forward, but every day is a battle. No matter what I won’t give up. After making it this far I have to see the story through. One way or another the story will reach its conclusion.

Do you struggle with endings? What do you do to help make endings easier to write?

 

7 thoughts on “Endings are HARD!”

  1. I struggle with endings all the time. That’s why I try to write my endings first, but it can be pretty difficult though, especially when you’re writing a series. It’s gotta end at some point, but you don’t want to rush your endings to the point where you can ruin the entire thing. Sometimes, it’s best to leave it on a semi-ending or open ended.

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      • Yep, risks are a part of life. You don’t have to share the ending to anyone, but you could keep it for yourself as a guide. If it changes, it changes. It’s just like everything else in this world. Writing anything is a gamble! 😉

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  2. Endings are terrible. I came into writing via daydreaming about what would happen next in my favorite shows while I waited for the next episode to air… There aren’t really endings in that. The whole point was to keep it going. That seems to have left a lasting mark on me, because when ending stories I’m almost always like, “Well more stuff could happen, but this seems like a good stopping point so let’s go with that.”

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    • I’m the same way. If I enjoy something I try to find ways to keep it going in my mind with new adventures for the characters.

      I love my own novel, of course, but in this situation I’m the one responsible for bringing it to an end. Hopefully writing a few endings will eventually make it easier. I’m just not there yet.

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  3. I love writing endings, though in my first draft I tend to rush them, and in my second I over-compensate and draw them out for too long.

    I find they write quickly because they are (hopefully) the most action-packed, fast-paced part of the book. Plus I usually have a pretty good idea of what has to happen by the time I get to the ending. Knowing what’s going to happen is definitely key for me.

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