Endings--Don't hack off the reader

We hear about how important the first five pages of a novel are many times during the query and publishing process, but we hear very little about what makes a good ending. In my opinion, if your ending is flat or predictable, the reader will put down your novel, shake his or her head, and probable not buy anything else you've written. If that's the case, then how do you create a good ending? First, remember, a good ending is not necessarily a happy ending. It's an ending that satisfies the reader. An example comes to mind--a movie--No Country For Old Men---great acting and story right up to the ending, but I think the ending was a dud. It seemed to me the screenwriter finally gave up on how to end the movie. Credits roll and you think, "Surely it's not over!"


Okay, if you agree, endings are important, how do we craft a satisfying ending? I have a few suggestions: First, put yourself in the reader's shoes and decide how a reader might want your novel to end. Then take away all the predictable endings and look for a way to give the reader a satisfying ending but in an unexpected way. However, don't 'Hollywood' it up to the point where it's unbelievable. I ran into an ending problem when I finished The Red Scarf. I liked everything about the manuscript right up to the ending. And to be honest, I thought the ending sucked. I set the manuscript aside for several weeks while I considered several ways to end the novel. Nothing seemed to be right until I hit upon a twist which inserted great sadness, resolution, excitement, and joy into the ending. I was out jogging when the ending came to me. It was so "Yes! That's it!" that I picked up speed, dashed into the house, and quickly put it on paper. Remember; a strong ending will give your readers a lasting attachment, with you, the author, and with the characters in the novel.

However, sometimes there may be several possible endings. I have a manuscript that has three endings all edited and ready to insert in the novel. Which is the best? Honestly, I have switched back and forth so many times, I can't decide. I'm going to leave that up to my editor. The name of the novel is Choices. It's a perfect name for an ending that ends with choices---three very different choices.