“If you’re a storyteller, you face that notorious bugbear called an ending. Maybe you’ll write your way into it, or maybe you’ll plan it out in advance. Whatever your process, your ending needs to ring true. No tricks. No clichés” (“The Last Chapter” by Jack Smith, The Writer, December 2020). I begin with a general idea of how a story will end, but I write my way to the specifics. As I get to know characters and eavesdrop on scenes, the ending takes shape and changes. Whatever emerges, the ending must be earned to satisfy the writer and reader alike. Read more of my thoughts about writing in REFLECTIONS.
