Author Q&A — How Do You Know When To End A Story

Recently, an aspiring author asked me the question, “How do you know when to end the story?” I think this is a fairly common question, and you would think the answer would be easy. You write the beginning, you work your way through the middle, you reach the ending, and then you type “The End.” Simple, right? Not always.

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a story isn’t coming up with the beginning. It’s knowing when to stop. When I begin writing a story, I usually have an idea of where I want it to go. I know my characters, have a general idea of what they will be doing, and I have a lesson I want the story to convey. But somewhere along the way, the story can take a few unexpected turns. Stories have a way of doing that! Characters may surprise me. An idea that sounded wonderful in my head may not work once I put it on paper. And sometimes the ending I originally imagined doesn’t feel right anymore. This just recently happened to me when I was writing my second children’s book.

This is when I know I need to step back and ask myself a few questions. Has the story accomplished what I wanted it to accomplish? Has the main character experienced the change, discovery, or challenge that needed to happen? Has the problem been resolved, or at least brought to a satisfying stopping point? Most importantly, does the reader have what they need to understand the story without me explaining every single detail? Furthermore, was the lesson understood?

The last two can be difficult. As authors, we sometimes want to make sure our readers “get it.” So we keep writing sometimes to the point of repetition. We explain the lesson. Then we explain the explanation. You reach what feels like the ending, but then you think, “Maybe I should add just a little more.” So you add another scene. Then another conversation. Then one more paragraph to make sure everyone knows what happened. Before long, the ending that could have been simple and meaningful has turned into a speech! Sometimes, depending on the book, that extra material is necessary, or it is just refusing to let go of the characters. I think this is actually harder when writing a novel than writing for children’s books. With a children’s book, you do not want more than 32 pages, so you have to be mindful of how long your story can be: much more than if you were writing another type of book. Eventually, though, you have to ask yourself, “What else needs to happen?” If the answer is “nothing,” you may have reached the end.

Sometimes you have to trust your reader. When writing for children, I think there is a temptation to spell everything out. If the story is about kindness, we want to make certain the child understands that kindness is important. But sometimes the story itself can deliver that message. A character’s actions, choices, and experiences can say much more than an extra paragraph explaining the lesson. I also think a good ending should feel earned.

If your main character has spent the entire story struggling with a problem, the ending shouldn’t suddenly solve everything with one sentence. The reader should feel that the character has changed somehow: emotionally, physically, or both. Oftentimes, this is where the conflict starts to become the resolution. That doesn’t necessarily mean the character becomes a completely different person. Sometimes the change is small. Maybe they understand something they didn’t understand before. Maybe they make a different choice. Maybe they see another character differently. Those small moments can be powerful. (Is it possible that something like this could be in my second children’s book?)

One of the best ways I’ve found to test an ending is to read the story aloud. Children’s books are meant to be heard, not just read silently. When you read the story aloud, you can often hear when the rhythm changes, when a sentence feels unnecessary, or when the story has already reached its natural stopping point. Pay attention to how the last page makes you feel. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you feel satisfied?
2. Do you feel like something is missing?
3. Do you want to turn the page because you are curious about what happens next?
4. Do you find yourself thinking, “Okay, I think we have talked about this enough”?
5. Has the problem been solved?
6. Has the lesson been conveyed?

That last feeling might be your cue. A good ending doesn’t always have to answer every question. In fact, sometimes leaving a little room for the reader’s imagination can make an ending even better. You want the reader to close the book feeling that the story is complete, while still having something to think about. For me, knowing when to end a story comes down to this: When the story has said what it needs to say, let it go. To recap, don’t keep writing simply because you are afraid the reader won’t understand. Don’t add another page because you aren’t ready to say goodbye to your characters. And don’t feel like you have to explain every lesson.

After all of this and you are still not sure whether your story is finished, put it away for a little while. Walk away from it and work on something else. Later, come back to it and read it again. You may discover that, when you do, your ending was right there all along; you just needed to stop writing long enough to see it.