How to Write the Perfect Ending for Your Novel

In literary fiction, a good ending has certain elements that leave readers satisfied, meaning that the story arc has come to its logical end and the character has achieved their main goal. The elements of a good and satisfying ending include:

1. 1. Resolution: An ending must always wrap up and resolve the central conflict you laid out in the beginning of the novel. A reader should walk away with a feeling that the story is complete.
2. 2. Transformation: A story's ending should bring a powerful close to your character development. The main character has learned valuable lessons along the way and the ending should illustrate their transformation.
3. 3. Suspense: A story’s ending is intensified when there’s a moment when the main character might not succeed. That last-minute tension makes the ending more satisfying when the main character overcomes their obstacles.
4. 4. Surprise: Readers follow a character’s story to be entertained. Satisfying endings have an element of surprise. Predictable endings will make a great story fall flat.

One of the most important novel writing skills is knowing how to end a story. While writing chapters might come easily through most of the novel, writing endings can require some hard work—especially if you’re working on your first book. Follow these eight writing guidelines as you begin to flesh out how your hero’s journey ends:

1. 1. Know your ending before you start writing. When you first begin writing your novel, know how your story will end. While the fine details might change, having a sense of what happens to your character will help guide your writing. Knowing the outcome will help you drop narrative clues—but no spoilers—so a reader can easily accept the outcome when they reach the last page.
2. 2. Build tension in the leadup to the end. Before you get to the climax and things are looking positive for your protagonist, create suspense by making it seem like they might not succeed. Throw in a plot twist that stacks the odds against your main character. This last-minute suspense will make the pay-off even more satisfying.
3. 3. Try different endings on for size. As you outline your story, map out your character’s journey and the different possible ways the story could end. What emotions does each option evoke? Your character might come full circle, back to the normal life they knew before. You can also create a surprise ending. Steer the storyline in one direction, then reverse course—the unsuspecting reader will realize that the clues were in front of them the whole time. For example, in a thriller, indirectly point to one suspect and then reveal a killer that was hidden in plain sight all along.
4. 4. Leave room for interpretation. Cliffhangers are good for chapter endings, but the end of a standalone story should resolve the character’s quest. However, if your book is part of a chronological series, it’s okay to leave some room for interpretation in the reader’s mind. For example, in J.K. Rowling’s book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry defeats his nemesis in that book, Professor Quirrell, in the dramatic climax. But the reader knows something bigger is on the horizon as long as Lord Voldemort still exists. The ending teases Rowling’s next book.
5. 5. Ensure that your ending makes sense. Whether you’re writing a thriller, romance novel, or science fiction, the ending to your story must be the result of a logical progression of the plot and your character’s actions. In Greek theater, playwrights sometimes used a type of ending known as deus ex machina, a Latin expression meaning “god from a machine” in which a god would swoop in and resolve the story. Try to avoid using this method. Your readers are invested in your story and want the satisfaction that the character has arrived at this ending by their own volition and actions.
6. 6. Evoke emotions. Whether it’s a happy ending, a sad ending, or a little of both, let your reader feel something. Emotions make a story linger in a reader’s mind, and that can mean the difference between a good story and a bestseller.
7. 7. Make sure your ending resolves the storyline. Write a strong ending that brings a sense of closure to the reader and ties up all loose ends in your story. Resolve all of the elements you have introduced throughout your story, including your main character’s quest as well as secondary characters’ storylines and subplots, which should be resolved before the grand finale of the main storyline. Ensure you haven’t left any plot holes, and wrap up the little details that linger in the reader’s mind. Make sure your story arc is engaging until the very final page and the reader can close the book cover, satisfied with where you have left the protagonist.

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