Have you ever reached the end of a novel and felt let down, frustrated, or even betrayed? The author probably could have used some of these tips.

by Tricia Copeland

I interviewed a horror author on my podcast that told me she killed all the protagonists in her book. I was horrified. How could you kill all the characters? As a person who gets deeply engrained in my characters’ lives, and a person who does not read horror, the thought of ending all the characters in a book haunted me. But it definitively resolved the story, for better or worse. No loose ends there.

This article is about book endings and how authors can wrap up, or in other terms, put a bow on their books. My first series, Being Me, a new adult, coming-of-age series, has a genre-typical happily ever after. The reader sees the main character overcome her emotional and mental challenges and, not to spoil too much, get the guy. But when I think about how I ended my young adult urban fantasy series, the Kingdom Journals series, I struggled with what I wanted the reader to see. How do you wrap up a story in a way that feels satisfying but not fake?

My answer became that I did and didn’t wrap it up. In this fantasy series, like many others, one main challenge carries the story. However, there were also subplots, supporting characters, and an evil nemesis still at large and waiting to be written. So the characters complete the primary quest, but I created a crossover series, the Realm Chronicles series, that continues the challenge to rid the realms of the evil nemesis and the stories of all the characters involved.

Now that I am wrapping up the Realm Chronicles series, I find myself again saddened by the inevitable end to my experience and relationships with these characters. I’m scared of the task of ensuring the ending is not too cliché, not too sappy, not completely happily ever after, yet satisfying and complete.

Whether we’re talking about the finale to a whole series or the ending of a single book, there are several options for authors to consider when thinking about how to wrap up the story. I don’t know what terms others may use, but these are mine:

◼ The all-wrapped-up ending resolves all the major and minor subplots and all issues for the characters. If you’re writing romance, you may end with a wedding scene, proposal, or first kiss that says that true love triumphed. If you’re a thriller or fantasy writer, the protagonist saves the day, and the antagonist can never return.

A horror author on my podcast told me she killed all the protagonists in her book. I was horrified. But it definitively resolved the story. No loose ends there.

◼ A happy-for-now ending fixes the major issue, plotline challenge, or at least temporarily thwarts the nemesis but leaves openings for a reader to conjure their own idea of what happened. This is a somewhat-unresolved ending and lets readers be creative with what the protagonist is thinking, feeling, or may do next. Not all readers love this ending, and I’ve gotten a couple of negative reviews about a book I left this way. But some readers like using their imaginations and creating the what ifs.

◼ The cliffhanger ending usually will be in a book that is in a series, but doesn’t have to be. It promotes excitement for the next installment or leaves the reader to create their own ending. Cliffhangers are always a gamble. I feel like half love them and the other half hate them. Especially if the next book in the series isn’t out, readers may be frustrated. I have added bonus chapters after the fact in a book I ended with a cliffhanger because of some negative reviews. But perhaps I cave too much to reviews.

◼ A didn’t-see-that-coming ending will incorporate a new issue, thought, or plot point in the character’s journey that reverses how a reader perceived the characters or story arc. An unexpected twist can be hard to pull off. The author needs to ensure there is enough support for it in the book while keeping the balance that most of the readers would not have seen the ending coming.

◼ The tied-up-with-a-bow ending frames a book. For example, if an opening scene shows the protagonist looking out over a lake at sunrise lamenting a dilemma, then the closing scene will mirror the scene with the protagonist gazing over the lake at sunrise satisfied with their current state.

◼ A bonus ending gives the reader a peek into a future state of the characters or world. In a romance, you show the couple a few years in the future in their house with a few kids and a dog. In a drama, the reader sees the protagonist reconciled with a long-lost relative, friend, or love. For a fantasy, you give a view of what a world or country looks like at some point in the future because of a hero’s actions.

The type of bow, or ending, you’d like for a book can be dictated by genre and expectations of readers for books in that genre. Knowing your audience can be crucial to meeting their expectations. I think all authors want their readers to love the stories they write, and the ending can make or break a reader’s impression. Thinking about how you want your book to end at the start of a writing project can help shape the content and perhaps save time with revisions.

Whatever your current project, celebrate your all-wrapped-up, happy-for-now, cliffhanger, didn’t-see-that-coming, tied-up-with-a-bow, or bonus ending. Happy writing and happy reading!

Tricia Copeland believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, a beautiful sunset, or a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Find all her titles, from contemporary romance to fantasy to dystopian fiction at her website.