Thought of a story...can't think of an ending!!!

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

I've been mulling an idea around in my head for about 2 years. I have literally written the outline at least a dozen times. I keep getting to the same spot, and then...nothing. Lots of conflict, subplots all winding their way together for a big ending, right on the verge of the climax...and...???

I mean, I know what needs to happen: character X finds something out about character Y, showdown between characters A, B, and C....I'm just not sure how the scene(s) should play out. All this tension built up, all these plots/subplots ready to be resolved, all these characters ready to duke it out...but how? Where? I draw a complete blank when I get to that point in the outline. EVERY DAMN TIME.

I am tempted to just write it and see what happens when I get there. What would you do? If you couldn't completely resolve the ending in your head, but felt that the story was still viable, would you keep trying to sort it out, or just write the story and let it happen on its own?

Just curious if others have run into this. I know there's a story there...I just wonder if there's an ending. LOL

davids · Mar 15, 2007

Piss on the damn outline-write until your ass falls off and see where your characters lead you-they will if you let em-all the flotsam and crap can be carved out later-just try it-you will find it works-nothing else to do really is there? You are stuffed up and making yourself nuts-STOP-then write and see where it takes you-no problems friend-just do it!

maestrowork · Mar 15, 2007

Don't worry too much. I'm at 62K with my current WIP and I still don't know how it's going to end.

davids · Mar 15, 2007

See thinker-you aint aloneypoo!!!

Writer14 · Mar 15, 2007

There's an ending to every story, even if you cant see it when you get there. The real problem is usually: How will i even start to write enough to even get to that point?

You've already got that pretty much solved with your outline.

If I were you (which I'm not...lol) I would begin writing and see what the characters walk and talk themselves into. Will it be happy for them after their decisions are made? or will it be sorrowful?

Not sure if that helped. But I tried ^^;

Lyxdeslic · Mar 15, 2007

For me, you've described the exact issue I'm having in my current WIP. I've elected to just -- write it out -- get to the point where I have to face this issue head on. I think the answer to one of your questions is yes -- if you've got a story that's worth telling, write it. Don't extend too much focus to the problem with the climax, until you reach it. When you get there, you may end up pulling your hair out for hours, days, or months, but, at this point, you have too much invested to give up.

My two pennies.

AnnieColleen · Mar 15, 2007

I discover story twists all the time when I'm writing.

Of course I also haven't finished a novel, so take that for what it's worth! (But it sounds like writing to see what happens may be a good idea for you here.)

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

maestrowork said:
Don't worry too much. I'm at 62K with my current WIP and I still don't know how it's going to end.

Well, if nothing else, I guess I'll be surprised...LOL I've just worried I'll start writing it, get to that very same point as in my outline and...nothing.

Cuz then I'd have to say bad words. LOTS of bad words.

And possibly burn another copy of "Lord of the Flies".

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

davids said:
write until your ass falls off

Oooo, does that mean my butt will actually get smaller, or do I still have to go to the gym for that? ;-)

TrainofThought · Mar 15, 2007

thethinker42 said:
I am tempted to just write it and see what happens when I get there. What would you do? If you couldn't completely resolve the ending in your head, but felt that the story was still viable, would you keep trying to sort it out, or just write the story and let it happen on its own?

Just curious if others have run into this. I know there's a story there...I just wonder if there's an ending. LOL

WRITE IT! I’m not one for outlines. I wrote my story without stopping for punctuation, sentence structure and the ideas were like a snowball effect. It’s a high writing, so go ahead and allow your words to flow without worry. Remember, there is always an ending to a story good or bad. Good luck!

Writer14 · Mar 15, 2007

If you do get stuck at that same point you can always write down a short or long list of the possibilites that could be created by what has already happened.

Ya know?

Or you can just brainstorm and think of some things that would be interesting that deserve to be the ending.

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

Lyxdeslic said:
For me, you've described the exact issue I'm having in my current WIP. I've elected to just -- write it out -- get to the point where I have to face this issue head on. I think the answer to one of your questions is yes -- if you've got a story that's worth telling, write it. Don't extend too much focus to the problem with the climax, until you reach it. When you get there, you may end up pulling your hair out for hours, days, or months, but, at this point, you have too much invested to give up.

My two pennies.

SO glad I'm not alone on this one. LOL

Well, I haven't seen any "burn all your notes you moron" posts (but then, Nichola hasn't posted yet...), so I guess I know what to do now.

Thanks everyone. Was just curious what others would do in the same situation.

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

AnnieColleen said:
I discover story twists all the time when I'm writing.

Of course I also haven't finished a novel, so take that for what it's worth! (But it sounds like writing to see what happens may be a good idea for you here.)

Oh I do too...On my previous novel (3rd draft is on ice right now), all kinds of stuff changed throughout the process of writing. But I knew what was going to happen in the end. Sure, it changed a little from my initial expectation, but it was still basically the same. This one is just one big fat question mark.

Hey, maybe that's how I should end it...

***

"Follow me," he said. They rode north.

And...
?

maestrowork · Mar 15, 2007

thethinker42 said:
Well, if nothing else, I guess I'll be surprised...LOL I've just worried I'll start writing it, get to that very same point as in my outline and...nothing.

Yeah, and your readers will be surprised, too. No more canned, cliched, been-there-done-that endings. You'll have fun writing it, and your readers will have fun reading it.

Edward G · Mar 15, 2007

I think you risk using up a lot of time and energy writing something out that hasn't been quite figured out yet. You risk creating a Deus ex Machina situation out of frustration. I don't outline every detail, but I like to have in mind what the ending is and how it will resolve the other polt issues before I start. Granted, it could change to something better when you get into it, if you want, but a story idea without an ending is not really a complete idea, right? Just my opinion, of course.

Mr. Fix · Mar 15, 2007

Til it falls off is good.

My stories seem to write themselves. By which I mean that I do put the effort into writing as much as possible (which is generally not enough!). Often, however, as I write my thought process out for the story something occurs in my train of thought that I didn't 'plan out' beforehand, and it usually works. So I would say just keep writing and see what happens, you may like it! Don't worry about perfection in the concept, look for the magic of your story to reveal itself!

MidnightMuse · Mar 15, 2007

I do it that way all the time - start writing it, see where it goes.

I let my characters discover things while I'm discovering them, learn the clues and show ME whodunnit. I'll go in with a good idea, but let the characters steer once they learn how to drive.

davids · Mar 15, 2007

maestrowork said:
Yeah, and your readers will be surprised, too. No more canned, cliched, been-there-done-that endings. You'll have run writing it, and your readers will have fun reading it.

The man is correct-see your rep point and now!

Siddow · Mar 15, 2007

If it's any help, I had the ending of my first novel planned, but when I got there, it was all different anyway.

If you feel comfortable pantsing it, I say go for it. I learned after that first one that I prefer to not know what's going to happen. It's more fun for me that way.

maestrowork · Mar 15, 2007

GordonJerome said:
I think you risk using up a lot of time and energy writing something out that hasn't been quite figured out yet. You risk creating a Deus ex Machina situation out of frustration.

Certainly there are those risks. At the same time, an outlined story may risk having a predictable, cliched storyline and ending. Those risks are real, too.

I don't outline every detail, but I like to have in mind what the ending is and how it will resolve the other polt issues before I start.

I try to do that, too, but with my current WIP, my characters and situations have taken me places I haven't even dreamed of, and it's very exciting. And I hope my readers will be excited by that as well. But yes, usually I do try to think ahead and at least have some guideposts along the line so I'm not just wandering about with an unresolvable story.

Granted, it could change to something better when you get into it, if you want, but a story idea without an ending is not really a complete idea, right?

Sometimes the best stories come from an "incomplete" idea, or premise, if you will. Rarely do I have a complete idea before I start writing. I did just write one short story which I know exactly what the beginning, middle and end are. That's nice. But I am equally pleased with how my novel WIP is taking me, surprise after surprise.

There are always risks involved. We just need to know what they are, and how much risks can we handle. Every writer is different, so use your own judgment.

thethinker42 · Mar 15, 2007

GordonJerome said:
You risk creating a Deus ex Machina situation out of frustration.

Hmmm, that I'm not so sure about. It boils down to something along these lines: all of my characters have been crusing along through the story, building conflicts, etc., and now they're all in the same place, at the same time, ready to resolve everything. Almost like everybody's come together in some dark warehouse, everyone's got a gun, but I can't decide who's going to fire the first shot. I don't know who's going to live, who's going to die. I don't know what's going to happen when the shooting stops and the dust settles. I can get everyone there, I can give everyone a gun and a reason to use it...but I'm not sure of anything beyond that. (I'm speaking metaphorically - there's no warehouse, no guns, LOL) That's how far I've gotten into the outline...so it boils down to, the characters WILL have to resolve it. No outside interventions, no cheesy-ass endings that have nothing to do with the story...they've all been thrown into the room and nobody's getting out until everything's resolved.

Though, at times, I HAVE been tempted to just have a T-Rex come running in, stomp on everyone, eat their bodies, and run away. But that's only when I'm *really* frustrated...

PeeDee · Mar 15, 2007

GordonJerome said:
I think you risk using up a lot of time and energy writing something out that hasn't been quite figured out yet. You risk creating a Deus ex Machina situation out of frustration. I don't outline every detail, but I like to have in mind what the ending is and how it will resolve the other polt issues before I start. Granted, it could change to something better when you get into it, if you want, but a story idea without an ending is not really a complete idea, right? Just my opinion, of course.

A story idea doesn't have to be complete, though. I've written stories where I have nothing but an opening situation, a scene, a snippet of dialog, and I wanted to know where they went and what they have to do with anything.

Just write the story. The outline you've got will see you along the way, and you'll find an ending eventually. Why worry? Every story comes out somewhere, no matter what.

And even if you mapped your whole story out, there's no guarantee that you'd have th same ending when you get there. Your characters and the rest of the story will have some input along the way no matter what.

maestrowork · Mar 15, 2007

thethinker42 said:
Though, at times, I HAVE been tempted to just have a T-Rex come running in, stomp on everyone, eat their bodies, and run away.

You stole my ending!!!

:grrr:

MidnightMuse · Mar 15, 2007

I think, quite often, you'll find once you sit down and start writing - not just outlining but writing - things will change, morph, grow and before you know it, one day you'll be working on a chapter and suddenly the perfect ending will occur to you, based on all the writing you've been doing.

I'd say start it, start writing it as if you know exactly what's going to happen, and see what does happen.

PeeDee · Mar 15, 2007

thethinker42 said:
Though, at times, I HAVE been tempted to just have a T-Rex come running in, stomp on everyone, eat their bodies, and run away. But that's only when I'm *really* frustrated...

Best ending ever: Just as he looked deep into her beautful eyes and prepared to bare his soul the graves gave up their dead and they shambled forth and ate everyone the end.

Go with that.

Thought of a story...can't think of an ending!!!

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