Writing As an author, what type of ending maker are you based on?

[Eldoria]

Author Type as Ending Maker​

1. Plan an unexpected ending from the beginning, providing neat foreshadowing in the chapters and executing it consistently in the epilogue (e.g. Death Note).
2. Plan an ending from the beginning that is predictable or expected (usually stated in the MC's motivation) and execute it consistently in the epilogue (e.g. Naruto).
3. Create an ending based on mood (Oishi no Ko and Kaguya sama?).
4. Create a safe ending even though it differs from the initial promise of the narrative (AoT?).
5. Create an ending that makes everyone happy (Promised Neverland?)
6. Don't think about the ending from the beginning and let the story flow until the end.
7. Don't give an ending (open ending).

Note: Add another category if it is not already in the answer choices.

 

[Exiled_From_Earth]

I very nearly put 7, but I think I lean more towards a more symbolic or thematic ending that either wraps up the character arcs of the main cast while still leaving some of the plot stuff open, or tries to tie everything back to the start in a sort of "we have grown (or regressed) as people, but the journey continues!" type way.

Although I will say my all-time favorite type of ending is when a story decides to go the full surrealist headtrip route and show one final scene, symbol, or line, and then leaves the audience to interpret its meaning. But that is very difficult to pull off in a satisfying way, and I can more than understand why most people don't like it most of the time. However, both "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "The End of Evangelion" pull off such an ending very well in my opinion and are two of my all-time favorite works of fiction for that very reason.

 

[MFontana]

Author Type as Ending Maker​

1. Plan an unexpected ending from the beginning, providing neat foreshadowing in the chapters and executing it consistently in the series epilogue (e.g. Death Note).
2. Plan an ending from the beginning that is predictable or expected (usually stated in the MC's motivation) and execute it consistently in the epilogue (e.g. Naruto).
3. Create an ending based on mood (Oishi no Ko and Kaguya sama?).
4. Create a safe ending even though it differs from the initial promise of the narrative (AoT?).
5. Create an ending that makes everyone happy (Promised Neverland?)
6. Don't think about the ending from the beginning and let the story flow until the end.
7. Don't give an ending (open ending).

Note: Add another category if it is not already in the answer choices.

I'll generally plan out three or four different endings well in advance, before I even start writing the first couple of chapters. (There are the occasional exceptions to this, like Aestelle Nocte).
The Elarian Chronicles, for example, has four different potential endings.
I'm not quite sure which one I'm going to go with just yet, but it will definitely be one of them. I can't say too much about them right now (obviously). All I can say, is that it will neatly resolve the story's adventure, and plot threads.

 

[KidBuu699]

Not an author but will throw my 2 cents in. In most cases I think that the author should have an ending planned out and it should "match" the story. What I mean by that is if you are writing a happy fun mindless adventure story, it should end as one. Don't have giant plot swifts and such. No offense to anyone reading but some of you aren't yet capable of making the switches possible.

Same thing with foreshadowed stories. I have read plenty of stores where the end plot was guessed by people in the comments and then there is a sudden change that makes no sense. Some authors are so obsessed about about being unexpected or out smarting their readers that they will throw away all the foreshadows events just to say gotcha.

On a different but somewhat related note. Not every story has to have a grand ending. Think of what scale the story is on and make an appropriate end point. For example not every Game of Thrones fanfic has to end with the mc becoming King. Not every cultivation story needs to end with the mc becoming a true immortal.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Personal choice, I don't believe in perfect happy endings. Endings should feel messy, and complicated, but understandable, and genuine. I prefer things to end up "good enough" that its satisfying, but don't overwrite the entire adventure along the way..

Imagine if at the end of Lion King, Mufasa just revives for no reason at all because "Disney magic', and instead of scar dying, he just goes "oops, my bad guys, in truth I didn't know running the kingdom needed all these crazy checks, and balances. Lesson learned!", "OH, you little scamp!" Yay! Happy lion family!!

 

[Louhi]

7. Don't give an ending and leave it open for a continuation or sequel.

Before I know it, I have written over 1,000,000 words. I have to stop writing so I can start editing. The edited version is 400,000 words.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

6. Don't think about the ending from the beginning and let the story flow until the end.

This gives me ample opportunity to explore the possibilities as I'm writing and lets the story unfold in a natural unforced way.

 

[Macha]

Don't think about the ending from the beginning and let the story flow until the end.

7. Don't give an ending and leave it open for a continuation or sequel.

Before I know it, I have written over 1,000,000 words. I have to stop writing so I can start editing. The edited version is 400,000 words.

Louhi novels: Chinese attacks with Japanese conflicts.

6. Don't think about the ending from the beginning and let the story flow until the end.

This gives me ample opportunity to explore the possibilities as I'm writing and lets the story unfold in a natural unforced way.

Thinking hurts.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

It's funny.

I have endings in mind for both my works, but I am not committed to reaching that 'Goal'. I'd rather let the story flow for a while, then see what would be a good ending point.

 

[HarryGarland]

Well, I start with a planned ending, then as I write or inspiration comes, I make changes.

Spoiler

So there's this story I am planning. A typical avenger storyline: MC's family was massacred, he was sent into hiding, he grows up, gets strong and kills the villain. Simple.

Then, one Sunday morning when I was halfway singing in church, something hit me and I thought I should give that ending a twist. After he kills the villain, he finds that the villain had a expecting wife and 4yr old daughter.

And he is faced with a choice, kill them or spare them.

Suddenly, he standing in the shoes of the villain, the very night he stared into the villains face when his family was massacred. (The villain intended to kill him, but his mother sacrificed her life to ensure his survival.)

 

[AliceMoonvale]

6 7.

No, really. I do either 6 or 7 unironically, chronically.

I am a meme.

 

[Sylver]

I can't vote because mine isn't really based on mood, but rather based on the type of story I write for. I've got 3 stories in mind, and each ending differs widely. One is safe and comfy, one is a twist contrast you wouldn't predict based on the start, and one is like a roller coaster where the story takes different directions and we're all waiting to see the end

 

[CharlesEBrown]

To quote the late Robert Jordan:

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

There are beginnings, and endings, but they are not absolute. Some are obvious, planned, some are not what we expected, and some are open ended.
And some are so far off as to be non-existent...

 

[Zagaroth]

So I chose "don't think about the ending", but that's not entirely accurate. While I did not start knowing my ending, once I found my antagonist in the back story, I had a shadow of an idea, and as the series progressed, the idea took on a more solid form, with the occasional mental edit.

There are aspects to the ending that are a surprise, there are aspects to the ending that just were not in the picture until several books in, but the overall ending is roughly what people were expecting, i.e., delivering on the promise of the story.

With a slight caveat: The ending of book 7 wraps the original major arc, but I've also laid the foundation for a second arc, with a shift in character focus to currently-teenage characters. And I already have a rough idea of how that will wrap, but again, there are aspects that would be a surprise from the perspective of book 8, just because there are elements and enemies that will be introduced over the course of the story. There is not yet enough information to expect that end, but by the time the final book starts, most people should have a good idea of what the ending will look like.

 

[Nevafrost]

Mine is "The ending can be predicted just by seeing the title" type. Ts is so hella funny. Why am I laughing at my own joke?

 

[Racosharko]

Something that subvert expectation, but also makes the reader go, "you know what? that makes a lot of sense, of course that's how it ends, that is actually pretty on brand."

 

[Worthy39]

While I do have a general idea for my ending, we'll see if it actually plays out that way. I've changed a lot of plans over the story, but the major plot hasn't changed, so while the ending may not play out exactly how I want it, it will play out at least similar to my original idea in all likelihood.

 

[BearlyAlive]

You guys thonk while writing?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You guys thonk while writing?

That's about the only time I don't thonk. I should probably have something looked at.

 

[LazyScript]

I like everything but the open ending. As a reader, I don't prefer open endings UNLESS there's an obvious sequel.

This might just be preferential, but closing out a series on an open ending just seems lazy to me, like the author didn't really have a plan or just didn't know what to do with the story. Again, just my opinion from a reader's perspective.