Starting an Ending

Warning: This will sound weird.

For the past few years, I've been working on a lengthy tale. Finally, I think I've come to the end, after 44 pages of Word! But, I don't know how to end it.

My main worry is that I don't know how to draw it to a close. I'm great at continuing, but I'm horrible at putting an end to it. I don't know where to stop.

Hmm. For me, I seem to just know when...well, in my case, a chapter is supposed to end. If it feels like the scene/chapter is over, then I'll go with that feeling and end it. So...do you ever get that feeling, when writing a chapter/scene? If so, maybe you need to sort of...apply that to trying to end the story. I'd tell you that when the story wants to end, it'll let you know, but that could take forever, lol. x.x Hope this helps a bit.

Oh, and, no, it doesn't sound weird at all. I have the same problem, pretty much, when trying to end stories.

hah, I can totally agree with your problem.

But, I might have a solution to yours, more so than I would to my own

Try to think of your ending more as a scene, not as really... a place to end it. And when I think of endings, I think of music. You want something, big, beautiful, and perhaps shocking, that makes them take their breath away (them being the reader). Even if your climax was 50 pages earlier, and you are writing the closing, write the best you ever have, so that they finish on that last line, only thinking "wow" and wishing to turn to the first page, and read it once again just to take in its beauty.

Back to the music thing: do pretend your whole novel is a piece of music. Perhaps your ending will be quieter, more harmonious than the rest of the novel, or conversely, more violent and shocking. How will it compare to the rest of the story?

You might find that perfect scene, the one that captures everything, and even if it still leaves you wishing to save more, if the scene is as good as it can be for an ending, you should be satisfied.

Helpful?

Thanks AWritersFantasy! I liked that you just go by feeling.

Thanks Claudette! I enjoyed your music comparison!

Thanks!