Comments on: Corny Endings http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 01:15:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: maureen http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-22151 maureen Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:47:08 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-22151 I personally perfer endings tinted with both sadness and a gleam of hope at the very end to add a hint of suspence and leave the reader to imagine for themselves what the futures of the characters will hold. It all depends on your story; you have to analize the book and decide what kind of ending your characters would choose. I personally perfer endings tinted with both sadness and a gleam of hope at the very end to add a hint of suspence and leave the reader to imagine for themselves what the futures of the characters will hold. It all depends on your story; you have to analize the book and decide what kind of ending your characters would choose.

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]]> By: Bruce http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19702 Bruce Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:20:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19702 What I want from an ending is to feel as if the tumblers of a combination lock have fallen magically into place, opening a door into my heart. Or maybe what I want to feel is a door clicking softly shut, but not before revealing one last glimpse into the character's heart... as his or her struggle, which began on page one, comes to a conclusion that feels both surprising yet inevitable. Inevitable because the ending will have grown out of the choices that the character has made along his or her journey, but surprising in that the reader won't be able to predict it. The key to unlocking the ending of your book, I suspect, is in your character's heart... and in the emotional arc of the story that began with the first words that you put down on paper long ago. And I'll bet the key to your ending will appear in your hand the moment you close your eyes ... and let go of the ending that you think should appear... and allow your character the freedom to discover his or her own destiny. Good luck! What I want from an ending is to feel as if the tumblers of a combination lock have fallen magically into place, opening a door into my heart.

Or maybe what I want to feel is a door clicking softly shut, but not before revealing one last glimpse into the character’s heart… as his or her struggle, which began on page one, comes to a conclusion that feels both surprising yet inevitable.

Inevitable because the ending will have grown out of the choices that the character has made along his or her journey, but surprising in that the reader won’t be able to predict it.

The key to unlocking the ending of your book, I suspect, is in your character’s heart… and in the emotional arc of the story that began with the first words that you put down on paper long ago.

And I’ll bet the key to your ending will appear in your hand the moment you close your eyes … and let go of the ending that you think should appear… and allow your character the freedom to discover his or her own destiny.

Good luck!

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19453 Kathleen Bolton Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:26:30 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19453 These are great perspectives. I guess I prefer to shut the book feeling uplifted and satisfied, but I don't have any problems with a few questions left unanswered. I don't like endings that are too pat, in other words. Lots to think about. Thanks, everyone! These are great perspectives. I guess I prefer to shut the book feeling uplifted and satisfied, but I don’t have any problems with a few questions left unanswered. I don’t like endings that are too pat, in other words.

Lots to think about. Thanks, everyone!

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]]> By: theamcginnis http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19419 theamcginnis Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:00:50 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19419 well, i'm a happy ending kind of person. i did just finish seeing 'becoming jane' yesterday afternoon. and the question of happy endings vs. reality did come up. and in the end, even jane chose the happy ending, after many trials for her heroines, and she made sure they always ended up with rich men! really good movie, highly recommend. ann hathaway was so beautiful. p.s. congrats kathleen on the completion of your wip! that, in and of itself, is a happy ending!!! well, i’m a happy ending kind of person. i did just finish seeing ‘becoming jane’ yesterday afternoon. and the question of happy endings vs. reality did come up. and in the end, even jane chose the happy ending, after many trials for her heroines, and she made sure they always ended up with rich men! really good movie, highly recommend. ann hathaway was so beautiful. p.s. congrats kathleen on the completion of your wip! that, in and of itself, is a happy ending!!!

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]]> By: katemoss http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19398 katemoss Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:28:44 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19398 For me an ending has to lay the characters bare. As a reader, we've followed them faithfully through triumph and defeat. We feel like we know what they're capable of, what they hunger for, and what self-imposed restraints hold them back. I'm always rooting for the hero/heroine to break through their baggage, work up their nerve, and make that dangerous leap towards what they want most in the world. For me an ending has to lay the characters bare. As a reader, we’ve followed them faithfully through triumph and defeat. We feel like we know what they’re capable of, what they hunger for, and what self-imposed restraints hold them back. I’m always rooting for the hero/heroine to break through their baggage, work up their nerve, and make that dangerous leap towards what they want most in the world.

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]]> By: Kit http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19397 Kit Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:19:03 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19397 endings? cool! personally, i prefer the ending to have some meaning behind it; i always hate it when authors rant on about a certain something, then out of desperation for an ending for the story, just sort of stick one in your gut, screw that there's no finality or moral to the situation. i think that the emphasizing change in your character bullet you have up there probably means most to me. endings? cool! personally, i prefer the ending to have some meaning behind it; i always hate it when authors rant on about a certain something, then out of desperation for an ending for the story, just sort of stick one in your gut, screw that there’s no finality or moral to the situation. i think that the emphasizing change in your character bullet you have up there probably means most to me.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19346 Therese Walsh Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:22:36 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19346 Hmm. That's really a tough question, even though it seems the answer would be straightforward. Satisfaction comes, I think, from seeing that final authorial brushstroke splayed out on the page in the way the best serves the work. Stay true to the genre, play out the conclusion and don't leap away from the hard stuff, and be sure to leave the reader in a place of some satisfaction--otherwise they may not want to read further works. Hmm. That’s really a tough question, even though it seems the answer would be straightforward. Satisfaction comes, I think, from seeing that final authorial brushstroke splayed out on the page in the way the best serves the work. Stay true to the genre, play out the conclusion and don’t leap away from the hard stuff, and be sure to leave the reader in a place of some satisfaction–otherwise they may not want to read further works.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19332 Juliet Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:20:11 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/08/27/corny-endings/#comment-19332 The one essential for me is that, even in the most tragic ending, there should be a note of hope / redemption. The central character(s) should have learned something. I prefer not to be left bitter and depressed. The one essential for me is that, even in the most tragic ending, there should be a note of hope / redemption. The central character(s) should have learned something. I prefer not to be left bitter and depressed.

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