This is it, folks. The last post in this series. If you’ve hung around this long, thank you! I really hope you’ve found it interesting and helpful.
Last time we talked about the falling action of the story, and now we’ve come to the end.
The Resolution
What is the resolution of the story?
“The End,” right? Well, yes. But it’s not wrapping everything up; it’s wrapping everything up well, so the reader feels satisfaction with the ending. You don’t want to end a story that makes the reader slam the book and throw it against the wall with a vow “never to read anything by that author ever again!” Literally or figuratively. (Please don’t throw your Kindle against the wall.) I’ve done this exactly twice. I won’t tell you the books because you would probably recognize them. The endings were shocking and terrible and I hated them. I’ve also never read another by either of the authors. Has that ever happened to you?
Here’s where we left our story last time:
The mayor is arrested. Sophia’s parents have expressed their remorse and grief about everything. And Sophia determines to bring Cassidy home.
The conclusion is the final wrap-up. Sophia finds her sister with her parents’ help. Her parents learn their fate for their participation in an illegal adoption, but it wasn’t a kidnapping. So the penalty is labeled a misdemeanor. (This depends on the state.) They are given their sentencing, which includes community service. (This is where I would do a little more research and consult with a lawyer in the state on how this would legally be handled.)
They didn’t know that the mayor killed the poor girl who gave birth. He told them he came across the baby; and as long as they didn’t ask questions, they could have her. They agreed. Sophia and Cassidy are happily reunited now that the threat is gone. The mayor ends up dead in the end, Cassidy’s birth mother gets a funeral attended by Sophia, Cassidy, and Oliver. And Oliver and Sophia have feelings for each other and decide to date.
THE END (whew!)
Now, if you’re reading these blog posts one after the other, you may notice a few inconsistencies in the structure of the story. (I don’t know; I haven’t gone back through it yet.) But that’s okay! Seriously, this is how I get the bones of my story down. But that doesn’t mean it’s finished by a long shot. It’s now time to start weaving the subplots throughout, deepening characterization, fixing anything that doesn’t work in the structure, etc. But that’s a whole other blog post series coming your way soon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and you found it helpful. Feel free to ask questions if you have them.
How about your story? How does it end? What do you leave with the reader when the final word is read? Satisfaction? A sense that all is well? A feeling of having learned something? Sometimes it’s hard to know until you get that reader feedback, but take a guess.
Until next time.
Deadlines and Taxes
And now the storyline has turned
so close to the very end,
and there is room, I have just learned,
in heart for another friend.
His holds me up when I am tired,
and knows it when I need O2.
I don’t know how he was inspired…
perhaps by Scooby-Doo?
For as you now perhaps have guessed,
Beau is a young Great Dane
who’s passed each service-dogging test
with cheerfulness so plain
that makes me want to see some more
and not soon go through Heaven’s Door.
Love it! 🙂
Thank you, Lynette, for this wonderful series. I’ve followed along each week and have found it extremely helpful–to actually “see” a story coming together. Now–even though you’ve given away the ending–ha–I hope one day it’s a story you’ll write! It’d be great to see the final version! Thank you again for sharing this wealth of information with us.
Hi Barbara, I’m so thrilled you found this helpful! And yes, I’m thinking I might just have to write the whole thing! ha!
I loved them. Thank you! This was a lot of fun and I looked forward to reading them every time I saw the notification come through on my phone.
So glad you enjoyed! Really appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Love this series! It’s helped me so much.
The endings are actually one of the first things that I plot out when starting a new novel. For some novels, like my dystopian fantasy, it’s an ending with promise of new beginning, a whisper of the world to come. For others, like the gas lamp fantasy I’m outlining, it’s a bittersweet ending where the goals are obtained, but there is still pain and sorrow.
I just love that this series has helped you! That was definitely the goal in writing it. 🙂
I ended with MOST of a resolution—what the reader needs/wants to know—then used an epilogue to leap from 1976 to 1996 for things a reader would be intrigued to know. And in the epilogue I dropped a couple hints of a sequel—which has been Book Two (almost done), which also hints…(?!)
Andrew, ScoobyDoo is my constant companion—but is a CAT. I often call “where are you”. I enjoy petting him as much as he likes to be pets. Furry aminal (sic) friends.
Thanks, Lynette, for taking time to contribute. Thanks for including the funeral in the story
Terrific series, Lynette. Thanks for persevering. Very helpful, and all in one place!
You’re so very welcome! Glad you enjoyed and found it helpful. 🙂