The Importance of Endings

If you've read many of my comments about books you know that endings are a sore point with me. So many times I really enjoy a book, only to have the ending ruin the experience.

You hear a lot about how important beginnings are, you really need to grab your audience, if you're writing a script the first ten pages better be perfect and exciting, etc. But what about the ending? You can't neglect that.

I wrote this little thing about endings as a kind of writing challenge, that's why the kind of odd format. It was supposed to include x numbers of words that start with b and 100 words. I ended up with 14 b words and 109 words in total.

On Writing the Whole Thing

Beginnings are critical. They bedazzle or bemuse or bore. Their impact belongs to you, you shape it and it's your responsibility. Bewitch your audience and they keep reading or watching or listening. Bore and they're bopping on to something else. Middles are crucial. They inform, beguile, amuse or drag. They also belong to you. But endings, ah endings make or break you. A bad ending ruins all your hard work and leaves your audience bewildered and frustrated. Bait your hook, catch them with your opening, reel them in through your middle and bring them into the boat, happy to be caught with your ending.