The End...But Is It Really? by Patty Blount

 This month, we're chatting about resolutions. Not the New Year's kind...though we can chat about those, too, if you like. 

The story kind. 

As in the end of the story, the pretty bow that wraps up all those loose plot threads. In romance, it's the happily ever after. In mystery, it's the culprit being identified and brought to justice. In fantasy, it's the main character realizing they had the power all along. 

Whatever your favorite genre is, I assure you resolutions are my favorite part of the story to write. 

What are the ingredients to a satisfying resolution? 

Well, like everything in story craft, it all starts (and ends) with CHARACTER. 

I usually don't begin a new story until I have an idea how it must end. For Dan in Send, I knew he needed to be forgiven. For Grace in Some Boys, I knew she needed to be believed. For Ashley in Someone I Used to Know, I knew she needed to DO the forgiving.

This glimmer of what the End will look like is part of the character arc. I've discovered after writing 10+ novels that whenever I struggle with a story, it's always because I didn't do a thorough enough job on character development. Once I nail that, a vision of the ending becomes crystal clear. 

Now, this is NOT to say I write endings first -- though sometimes I will. No, what it means is that I have a goal to write TOWARD. It's not a prescription; it's more like a direction. And I know I've found the right one when I can visualize the ending CONTINUING on. What will my character be doing a year, five years, twenty-five years into the future? If the ending I'm writing can sustain that vision...it's right. 

Having said all this, the only ending I wish I could go back and rewrite was Dan's in SEND. And in fact, I did. There is a Missing Epilogue for SEND on my website. 

What endings did you adore in a favorite book? Tell me!!