Conclusions

     The book is great so far. Intriguing characters, fast-paced plot, and page-turning dialogue. You actually are not looking forward to finishing it because it's that good. And then, tragedy strikes. The ending is horrible or sometimes left completely undone. Holes remain in the story, part of the plot is still unclear, and you really can't say how this story definitively ends. We've all been there. Frustrating as hell. You've invested a good amount of days or possibly even weeks into reading this piece of work, and the author leaves you hanging like a shirt in the closet.
   
      So, the question now becomes, how do we as writers become those folks who leave the audience confused and still searching for answers? Hard evaluation of our stories is the answer. As much as we may dread it, it is imperative for all writers to read their draft over and over several times, while dissecting each and every part of it. Find out what works, what doesn't work, what needs to be changed, and what should remain the same. I know...it's no fun going over a story numerous times that you already know EXACTLY how it's going to end, WHY it's going to end like that, and EVERYTHING you were thinking when you decided on that ending. But trust me when I tell you, your story will be all that much better for it.

     You can now ask yourself questions like, "Did I close this loop? Does this character's journey have sufficient closure? Does the ending leave any questions unanswered? If so, do those unanswered questions need clarification? If I was the reader, would I still want to know this information?" along with several others. I'll use a popular television show as an example. The Sopranos. Now, for those of you who have never seen the classic piece of work, I won't spoil it for you. However, I will say this. It was a great show during its run and definitely keeps you on the edge up to the very end. Imagine a 200-meter dash runner in the middle of their race. They've run an incredible race for 185 meters so far, and they look fantastic. But then, they slow down for the last 15 meters and don't finish strong. As a result, that lead they had disappears, and they lose the race.

     That's exactly how The Sopranos is. Great show up until the last episode that has NO CONCLUSION. After 86 episodes and six seasons, we are left with an ending that is meant to be interpreted instead of definitive. We have no clue what happened to Tony, Carmela, Meadow, and AJ. For those who watched this show in real time, I understand why there was such outrage. That feeling of betrayal for not being given a fair ending in exchange for loyal time devotion. Eight years later, no one can tell you how The Sopranos ended. So, with this in mind, always keep the reader in mind when writing your novels. If you do nothing else for them, make sure you give them the well deserved closure for their time  investment into you work. May the Lord's peace, will, and love be done unto you.