Write the last line or couple of lines of story you haven’t written yet. Identify which type of ending you are going to demonstrate (surprising, circular, image/idea, open ended, matching versus nonmatching, or summary). Be sure to consider the effect you want your ending to have.
Here are a few examples of endings to stories that don't exist in full form:
Mrs. Williams, hunched over the old piano, placed her fingers on the keys and began to play. She gracefully swung her head back and forth to the rhythm and swirl of the melody. All the others in the recital room watched nervously as only the muffled thuds of ivory keys hitting the bottom panel and popping back up filled the room.
-Or-
Colonel Flanders tucked the pistol into his waistcoat and looked for a bench to rest. It was well past noon, and the colonel did not want to be tired for group bingo again.
-Or-
And there, buzzing on the window sill above the kitchen sink, was the radio—nothing more insignificant in their lives, yet nothing more commanding, or even defiant, in the very moment that death and silence prevailed. A dull, smoky jazz number was all that was left. Then another. Then another. And it never stopped from there.
After you've written your ending, write a brief synopsis (1 or 2 sentences) about what your story could be about, given the ending that you just wrote. Write as many as you can in the next 15-20 minutes. Feel free to talk with others for advice: random ideas/ themes/objects that could be embedded into your ending.
If you’re stuck:
- pick an object and describe it the midst of chaos, silence, sadness, happiness—anything interesting you can think of that evokes a theme, mood/atmosphere, emotion.
-I also found it helpful to think of a random name (ex. Mr. Frutter) and then use your gut reactions to that name to come up with scenarios/characterizations that might be interesting or even bizarre. For example, Mr. Frutter, to me, sounds like an ice cream truck driver. Remember: there doesn’t have to be a reason for everything.
-Combine objects and concepts that wouldn’t normally fit together. Try to draw a connection between the two. Ex. tomato garden/saxophone, cigarettes/car seats, suicide/cherry pie.
**These endings/brief synopses will be written on index cards and collected.
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After this exercise, you will have the remainder of class to finish your short stories. If you are done, please read Ha Jin’s “Saboteur.” Pay close attention to how the beginning, middle, and end are interrelated, noting how each part progresses not only the plot, but the development of character, theme, conflict, and ultimately the deeper meaning.
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