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ENTRY

Ending it all
September 12, 2008

A friend who recently read The Fourth Treasure enjoyed the book although she wished it had ended differently. I won?t tell you exactly how she wanted it to end because it would give away the ending. I know it?s hard to believe but there are a still a few people who haven?t read the book. :-) Anyway, her comments and the ensuing conversation got me thinking about endings, specific to novels of course, although my thoughts could apply to most kinds of writing.

To me, there are two kinds of endings: satisfactory and unsatisfactory. (See my Theory of Satisfaction posts.) Satisfactory endings provide a pleasantly sated feeling. Unsatisfactory endings leave the reader disappointed. Notice that I didn?t say the two kinds of endings are the Resolved Ending and the Unresolved Ending. Or the Surprise Ending and the Expected Ending. Or the Sad Ending and the Happy Ending.

According to the Theory of Satisfaction, satisfaction is inherently personal. For example, one person reading a novel with a Resolved Ending (where all the story threads are neatly tied up) feels very satisfied with the ending, while a different person feels it was too neatly tied up or not tied up in the way s/he wanted. To one reader an Unresolved Ending leaves too much open while another likes the ambiguity, letting her/him think about what happened or might have happened or wanted to have happened.

Because satisfaction is personal, endings are tough to write. I think most writers want their readers to feel satisfied at the end of slogging through 300 pages. As I mentioned in the Plotting post, I try to have an ending in mind when I start writing. It?s the ending I feel provides the highest level of satisfaction based on the story and characters and what I?m trying to accomplish with the book. Of course, it?s a moving target as I write; so many things change during the process.

My friend asked if I?d written or considered alternate endings to The Fourth Treasure. Yes, probably fifty by the time the final draft was finished. In the end (so to speak), the ending that stuck seemed the right one, the one providing the most satisfaction. At least to me.

#

© 2010

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 2
click here to add a comment

Lee Witte
Endings are tough, as a reader and a writer. I like how you tie the novel ending to your theory of satisfaction. It does explain why some work and some don't.

Jo Reed
I think endings at least for novels shouldn't tie things togther too neatly, kind of cheapens the whole experience. But it does need to make it feel complete.

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Ending it all September 12, 2008 A friend who recently read The Fourth Treasure enjoyed the book although she wished it had ended differently. I won?t tell you exactly how she wanted it to end because it would give away the ending. I know it?s hard to believe but there are a still a few people who haven?t read the book. :-) Anyway, her comments and the ensuing conversation got me thinking about endings, specific to novels of course, although my thoughts could apply to most kinds of writing. To me, there are two kinds of endings: satisfactory and unsatisfactory. (See my Theory of Satisfaction posts.) Satisfactory endings provide a pleasantly sated feeling. Unsatisfactory endings leave the reader disappointed. Notice that I didn?t say the two kinds of endings are the Resolved Ending and the Unresolved Ending. Or the Surprise Ending and the Expected Ending. Or the Sad Ending and the Happy Ending. According to the Theory of Satisfaction, satisfaction is inherently personal. For example, one person reading a novel with a Resolved Ending (where all the story threads are neatly tied up) feels very satisfied with the ending, while a different person feels it was too neatly tied up or not tied up in the way s/he wanted. To one reader an Unresolved Ending leaves too much open while another likes the ambiguity, letting her/him think about what happened or might have happened or wanted to have happened. Because satisfaction is personal, endings are tough to write. I think most writers want their readers to feel satisfied at the end of slogging through 300 pages. As I mentioned in the Plotting post, I try to have an ending in mind when I start writing. It?s the ending I feel provides the highest level of satisfaction based on the story and characters and what I?m trying to accomplish with the book. Of course, it?s a moving target as I write; so many things change during the process. My friend asked if I?d written or considered alternate endings to The Fourth Treasure. Yes, probably fifty by the time the final draft was finished. In the end (so to speak), the ending that stuck seemed the right one, the one providing the most satisfaction. At least to me. # © 2010	COMMENTS Number of comments: 2 click here to add a comment Lee Witte Endings are tough, as a reader and a writer. I like how you tie the novel ending to your theory of satisfaction. It does explain why some work and some don't. Jo Reed I think endings at least for novels shouldn't tie things togther too neatly, kind of cheapens the whole experience. But it does need to make it feel complete.	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)