Teresa sat back in satisfaction. Finally, finally it was almost complete. Months of work about to come to fruition in just a few days, maybe hours! Brandon had, of course, betrayed his friends to the evil space alien robots. That was a fun plot twist! Now for the wrap-up. Teresa wrote the next page, and then the next, and then the next...wait. Is this ending anytime soon? Teresa began to sweat. Nothing was satisfying. Nothing was done. Every time she tied up a loose end, two more stared her in the face! Teresa screeched in anger, and jumped from her seat. What in the world was she going to do?!

It's always that final mountain, isn't it? The tallest and most daunting. One of the most difficult challenges in writing is crafting a conclusion that thoroughly wraps up the story without being long-winded and boring. As someone who struggles especially with ending a story, hopefully this chapter will prove helpful to my fellow sufferers!

The First Choice

Now the first thing to start with is the decision of what type of conclusion you want. It's going to differ depending on the type of book you are writing. For example, if the story in question is a miles long romance novel, you'll want to take some time to put each character to rest. If it's a short story, your ending might only be a few sentences long. Also, the genre of your story will come into play, as fairytales might want a happily ever after, but horror stories might prefer a chilling, "To be continued....". Take the genre and length of your story into account, and begin brainstorming.

Cover Your Bases

Time to take a trip down memory lane! Hopefully by this time, you'll know your book like the back of your hand. Take some time to revisit yet again, paying special attention to key events and characters. Write down and record important moments and details you want to include or reference in the wrap-up portion of your book. If you haven't already, brainstorm possible solutions to problems the characters are currently dealing with, and how it might affect the storyline. During this time, take special note of plotlines, characters and events that crossover with each other, and make sure that in your ending, all resolutions do not contradict or negatively affect each other. The goal is to tie UP the loose ends, not to knot them beyond repair! And don't worry, it's perfectly fine for the paths to be connected to each other, and in fact, that's usually how a good story ends. Just make sure that everything stays true to the story!

Have Fun!

Yay! The hard work is almost over! Now it's time to have fun a little. Create your conclusion, weave the threads together in whatever way you want. Leave some mystery, maybe, with the dangled string of a possible sequel. Pour out your heart in the final romantic scene between the two main characters. Rejoice along with your characters as they celebrate the end of World War I. The possibilities are endless!

So we've covered a lot so far. The blood, sweat and tears of building a world of imagination have produced a final result. Unfortunately, nobody's perfect, and there's probably a lot about the story you'd like to change. Plus, I think I saw a spelling mistake in chapter three...