Endings

Call them lasting impressions. To many writers the ending is just as important as the beginning of the story. Unfortunately, many readers don’t get that far. But if they do, you should reward them with a memorable ending. The ending should give a summary feeling to your story without repeating any information you have stated previously.

For columnists the ending is more important than the beginning. The twist or the main point the writer is trying to make is at the end of the column. Roger Simon, a columnist for The Sun, said he sometimes switches his leads and endings. He uses whichever is strongest. In many cases the lead could be an ending. And returning to your lead as a way to find your ending is an excellent technique. Here are some ways to form your ending:

Circle kickers. When you return to your lead for an idea to end your story in a full circle, you are using a circle kicker. Ken Fuson frequently uses this technique to devise his endings.

Quote kickers.The most common type of endings for features and hard-news stories is the quote kicker. Look for a quote that sums up the mood or main idea of the story. When you end with a quote, put the attribution before the quote or, in a two-quote ending, after the first sentence. Do not let the last words the reader remembers be “he said”.

Future action kickers.Many stories end with the next step in the development of an issue. But this technique works only if the story lends itself into a future element. If the next step is crucial to the story, it should be higher in the body. But if it works as a natural conclusion, then it can be the ending. It can be in a form of a statement or a quote.

Climaxes.This type of ending works on stories written like fiction, where the reader is kept in suspense until the end. It is more suited to features in narrative style or short news stories that tease the reader in the beginning and compel the reader to find out what happens.

Cliffhangers. Cliffhangers were described earlier in regard to mystery middles. But they are more commonly used as endings, particularly in series that will continue to another day. This technique can also be used in series written in sections, with the cliffhanger at the end of a section so the reader is compelled to continue. The concept is “What will happen next?”

Factual kickers. These are strong factual statements that could sometimes substitute as leads. They are statements that summarize the mood, tone or general character of the story. They are harder to write than quote kickers, but if done well, they give the reader a powerful punch. They are truly kickers. Strive for a very short, simple sentence that state a fact. But choose a meaningful fact that will leave a lasting impression.

Out-of-gas ending. You can always just end the story when you have no more to say. This method is appropriate for hard-news stories, particularlythose structured with a summary lead and arranged with supporting points in descending order or importance. You can end on a quote, future action or another fact in a story.

Practical exercises:

1. Make up a plan of the text.

2. Find the key words for each paragraph.

3. Summarize the text in 5-7 sentences.

4. Watch a mystery television show, a movie or even a soap opera, and note the foreshadowing elements and the cliffhangers. Analyze whether these elements keep you interested, and consider how you can apply the concepts to writing. Report your findings to the class.

5. Work with a partner. Read each other the stories you have written. Note where you can improve the pacing or how you can make the middle flow better. Will the story sound better if you use a circle kicker, quote kicker or factual kicker?

6. Take any news stories from a local newspaper. Analyze which stories have quote endings, circle kickers or factual endings.