Endings, Pt. 4: Delivering on the Theme

Endings, Pt. 4: Delivering on the Theme

When people think about incorporating theme, it can conjure cringe-worthy images of characters preaching to each other about the author’s intentions and cornily weaving in a “moral” that leaves readers feeling condescended to. One of my favorite...
Endings, Pt. 3: The Final Battle

Endings, Pt. 3: The Final Battle

Welcome back to my series on endings! Today, I want to talk about the importance of what I’m calling the final battle, which is really where your protagonist and antagonist finally deal with the major conflict head-on. Your hero fights the dragon, summits the...
Endings That Linger, Pt. 2: Character Arcs

Endings That Linger, Pt. 2: Character Arcs

Personally, one thing that I often find most compelling (or most upsetting) about an ending is how it goes about addressing the changes its major (and minor) characters have experienced over the course of the story. This is true in every form of fiction, but...
Endings That Linger, Pt. 1: Bookending

Endings That Linger, Pt. 1: Bookending

After drawing it out forever because I didn’t want it to end, I finally watched the series finale of The Next Generation this past fall. I was a little apprehensive because I didn’t really like a lot of the writing of Season 7 — many of the episodes...