Hellooo, everybody!
Today we're talking about all the ways you could screw up the ending of your book. The
end of the novel is typically referred to as the resolution. It occurs after the climax
and falling action and it's the moment when all or at least some of the conflicts are resolved,
as the name suggests. While the resolution is often the shortest and simplest plot points
in the novel, it's still really easy to fuck up. And writers do exactly that,
all the time. I'm breaking down the ten mistakes writers make when crafting their resolution,
so you can save yourself from a slew of one star reviews. This topic was requested by
one of my patrons over on Patreon, Phoenix. Phoenix wanted to know what makes a great
ending versus a terrible one, unfortunately, I have read a whole lot of both. You've come
to the right place. Have you made any of these mistakes in your manuscript? Then
whip out the red pen because it's time for a whole lot of rewrites. You'll thank me later.
(The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.)
Friendly reminder, all the merch in my merch store is on sale for 15% off,
using code MARCH15. You can get T-shirts, you can get hoodies, mugs, stickers, all kinds of
stuff. Plus I have brand new designs available. Simply plug this promo code into your purchase,
and bam, you're saving some money. I've got the store linked below.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you
wanna be alerted AS soon as I upload, you know you gotta do, you gotta ring that bell. Do it,
we have a great time here. If you need even more help crafting the resolution of your novel,
or if you need help with the whole entire process of writing a book, check out my number one best
selling writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book. It's available in ebook, paperback, hardback
and audiobook. You can get it all over the place, at all major retailers. I got it linked below.
Now it's time to break down the ten biggest
mistakes writers make when crafting their resolution.
Number one (1): Merging it with the climax. The climax is the most intense moment of your
novel when conflict comes to a head, and it occurs toward the end of your novel. Emphasis on toward.
The climax does not serve as the resolution. Sure there will be some questions answered,
but it doesn't mean the conflict is fully resolved. After the climax, you have the falling
action and resolution. I like to see the climax as the explosion, and the falling action as the dust
settling. The falling action is typically brief, maybe a scene or two. The characters are usually
regrouping and trying to make sense of the climax. And the resolution is when we as the reader see
that the conflict is resolved. Maybe the couple is happily in love, the Queen has regained her
throne, or the lost astronaut has finally returned to earth. If you end your book at the climax,
it’s going to feel jarring and unfinished. You got one more chapter to write, so do it.
On a related note, Number Two (2): Providing no resolution. The resolution is to lead your
readers feeling satisfied, and you achieve that by one, not dishonoring the genre,
we'll talk about that more later. And two, resolving the conflicts of your
plot. “But Jennaaa! Don’t I wanna leave a little mystery at the end?” I mean, not
usually. Are there some genres that are suited for an open ended resolution? Sure, but they're
in the minority. Typically readers are expecting answers and this is the place to deliver them.
It's also important to remember your subplots. Are they resolved by the end of your book? You don't
have to resolve all of your subplots in the last chapter, in fact a lot of times that's impossible
to do. But they should be resolved at some point within the novel. Now’s the time to do exactly
that. Because if you leave your plot or subplots hanging, readers will definitely be able to tell.
On the flip side, Number Three (3): Providing too much resolution. This point is specifically
applicable to books within a series. If you're writing a standalone the conflict
needs to be resolved in the resolution, full stop. But if you're writing a series,
doing this will discourage readers from picking up the next book. Why continue reading? The story's
over. This is why when it comes to a series, cliffhangers are your friend. A cliffhanger is
a plot device that ends a scene suddenly with no resolution. That sounds like a counterproductive
tactic for writing the end of your book. But if you're writing a mid-series story,
you don't want everything resolved. Sure, there should be some element of resolution,
but there should also be a conflict or issue left unresolved, so that you could tackle it
in the next book of the series. While the typical resolution leaves the reader feeling satisfied,
a cliffhanger ending will leave the reader eager for more. You want that. You want
readers anticipating the next installment. Again, try to pair some sense of resolution
with a lingering issue. For example, the prince was able to reclaim his kingdom,
but the princess was captured along the way. You wouldn't wanna do this with a standalone
or the last book in a series, but with a mid-series book it works.
Number Four (4): Introducing an entirely new cast of characters. The resolution is designed to
resolve the plot. It’s an ending, not a beginning. Thus introducing an entirely new cast of
characters at the end of the book doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There is one exception to the
rule, but it comes with caveats, and that's once again, if you're writing a mid-series book. If
you're writing book one of a series, it's possible to introduce a new character in the resolution,
provided they play a really important role in book two. But a new character is not the same
thing as a new cast. Introducing a large number of characters at once is overwhelming to the reader,
especially because they don't have a lot of time to get invested in them. You know, since the book
is over. You could potentially introduce a new character when using the cliffhanger format, but
try to keep the newbies to a minimum, otherwise it’s not going to feel like an ending at all.
Number Five (5): Dragging it out. Have you ever read a resolution that took up 40% of the novel?
I have. As we already covered, the resolution is often the shortest plot point in a book. In fact,
typically the falling action and resolution are one chapter in total, And a short one at that. If
you're dragging out the resolution for multiple chapters, you’re either not fully understanding
the purpose of a resolution, or you’re being self-indulgent. Sometimes writers are tempted
to drag out the resolution because they want to show the main character’s life after the
plot has finished. This is particularly common if you want to showcase a happily ever after.
It’s fine to include a slice of life snippet at the end of the book, but this is usually
the job of an epilogue. And epilogues tend to be brief, I’m talking just a few pages. Once
the conflict is resolved, the plot is over. And when the plot is over,
there’s no more story. If there’s not more story, there's nothing left for you to write, so move on.
Number Six (6): Explicitly stating your themes. Many stories feature some kind of message or theme
the author is trying to convey, and the resolution is the perfect time to bring this message home.
However, never forget that themes are meant to be understated. They’re ideas that pervade the story,
not explicitly stated opinions. If you’re very blatant with your message,
particularly in the resolution, it’s going to come off as preaching. As if
you’re trying to get the reader to agree with you. People don’t like that shit.
“But Jennaaa! What if some of them don’t get the theme?”
I hate to break it to you, but a lot of readers aren’t gonna get the theme,
because a lot of readers don’t understand themes in the first place. Not everyone
reads to analyze and evaluate, some people read solely for entertainment,
and they're gonna take your writing at face value. Release the need to have all of your
reader’s digest books in the exact same manner ‘cuz it ain’t gonna happen. Keep
your theme subtle, as it should be, and trust that the right readers will get it.
Number Seven (7): Convenience. It’s important for your resolution to be clear and concise. But it’s
not a good thing for your resolution to be overly convenient. Yes the conflict needs to be resolved,
but not too easily or coincidentally. Obvious examples of convenient resolutions are ‘It was
all a dream’ or ‘The answer was inside you all along.’ These are storytelling crutches that give
the writer an easy out to wash their hands clean of the plot, and it’s super annoying to read.
Convenient revolutions negate the entire purpose of the plot. Why did your characters go through
all that trouble over a conflict that could have been resolved on page one? Or a conflict that
really wasn’t a conflict in the first place. The struggle of the rising action and climax starts
to feel unnecessary if the resolution is too convenient. Yes you want your ducks in a row by
the end, but if your characters went through the ringer, it needs to have been worth it.
Number Eight (8): Dishonoring the genre. Every gene has rules, and sometimes these rules are
specific to the resolution. If you’re going to write in that specific genre,
that means you have to honor its rules. Now some writers thrive on breaking the rules,
and sometimes that's a good thing. This is not one of those times. When readers pick
up a book from a particular genre, that label is a promise. You are telling your readers: this is
exactly what you can expect from my book. If you break the rules, you are breaking that promise,
and once you break the promise, your readers will never trust you again. The best examples
of genres that have resolution rules are murder mysteries and romance. A murder mystery follows,
you guessed it, a murder, and the main character is trying to solve it. It's required that by
the end of the novel, the mystery is solved. Usually the murderer is revealed in the climax,
and the resolution answers all remaining questions. The romance genre requires a
happily ever after, or a happy for now. This means that by the resolution of your novel,
your main ship needs to be happy, together, and in love. Usually they get together during the climax,
and the end is a glimpse at their happy life. Dishonor these genre rules and readers will
riot. They are buying these books for these particular rules, so you gotta stay true to them.
Number Nine (9): The plot twist. A plot twist is an unexpected change in the direction or
outcome of a plot. And the most common place to find a plot twist is the climax. However,
it’s not unheard of to find a plot twist in the resolution. Something happens right at the end,
and it flips the entire story on its head. The problem is, not every genre is suitable for a
twist ending, and some writers haven’t gotten that memo. For example the horror genre, or any
novel that heavily features horror elements, is a prime place to have a twist ending. In fact,
I can’t think of a single horror novel I’ve read that didn’t have a twist ending. But including a
twist ending in a romance is going to feel out of place, remember, readers are expecting a happily
ever after. Thus, this is yet again one of those situations where it pays to understand your genre
well. A plot twist at the end of a wrong story can ruin the reading experience for your audience.
And last but certainly not least, Number Ten (10): Stopping completely. It takes a hell of a
lot of determination to finish the first draft of a manuscript. It takes even more determination to
embark on the second draft, and the third draft, and the fourth. If you are committed enough to
get to that ending, don’t lose your resolve now. You’ve gotten over that first major hurdle, what
a shame it would be if you threw it all away just because the next hurdle is intimidating. Fucking
intimidation! You wrote a fucking book! Don’t do yourself the disservice of stopping after
writing the resolution. Roll up your sleeves, clench your butt cheeks, and get back to work.
So that’s all I got for you today. Thanks again to Phoenix for requesting today’s topic. If you’d
like the chance to have a video dedicated to you, or if you want access to tons of other awards,
check me out on Patreon. We have an exclusive writing group, you get early access to my videos,
there’s monthly livestreams. It’s awesome! I’ve got it linked below.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be
alerted AS soon as I upload, ring that bell. If you need a step-by-step guide to crafting
your novel from plan to print, definitely check out my number one bestseller, Shut Up and Write
the Book. It’s available in paperback, hardback, ebook and audiobook. And it's available at all
major retailers. I got it linked below. If award winning dark fantasy romance is more your vibe,
check out the first two books in The Savior’s Series: The Savior’s Champion
and The Savior’s Sister. And check ‘em out quick, because The Savior’s Army is on its way.
And be sure to follow me on social media. I’m on Instagram, TikTok,
Facebook and BookBub. And of course you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Sensual Female Voice) Hello, dove! It's me, Cosima! Do me a favor,
subscribe to Jenna's channel and ring the bell. I would be EVER so
grateful. Go on and subscribe. I'll be waiting for you once you've finished…