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 |  This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
| Ending Without Ending I am a fan of Stephen King. I have every book of his (except 1, and except 2 collaborations), which is a lot of King! However, even I, as a huge fan, will say one thing – he can struggle with an ending. Sometimes they fall flat after everything that has happened before, sometimes they get way too convoluted, sometimes they are over too quick… it’s just not a strong point. Now, not every story has a bad ending – The Shining’s ending is perfect, for example – but it is frequent enough to be noticeable. So, what? Have I just come here to bash my writing idol? No, I am here to discuss something else – what could have been done differently. And it is something King has used, in Christine and Pet Sematary, for example. This is the open ending. 1. What is an Open Ending? An open ending is when things are not tied up in a neat bow. The monster might still be out there, they might not have found the mystic item, the dark lord might still be alive, anything. The most common reason for doing this is because the writer already has a sequel in mind, or they are writing their trilogy or, heaven help us, decalogy. And then writers don’t deliver on said sequels and readers are left frustrated. But what I want to focus on is the open ending that happens because not every story finishes happily for everyone. 2. Why use an Open Ending? Ignoring sequel bait, like I said, not every story is going to be able to be neatly tied up. Sometimes, it feels forced, like the ending has been placed there because there has to be an ending. It feels rushed and leaves the reader feeling a little let down. Other times, there is no way a closed ending can work without an epilogue or a time jump. And sometimes, an ending can be open in case the writer wants to do a sequel, but a sequel is not necessary as the story works very well on its own. Then there is the theory that readers are not stupid, and leaving an ending open can leave it up to their imagination. Do Dick and Jane stay together? Where did the adventurers go next after finding the Statue of McGuffin? What does the monster do now it has been injured and limped into the forest? Let the reader come up with what happens next! And sometimes what they come up with can be better than a forced sequel. 3. Disadvantages of an Open Ending I think the advantages speak for themselves, but the disadvantages should be taken into consideration: i) it can make a story feel incomplete; ii) it can feel like a cop-out because a proper ending couldn’t be found; iii) some publishers do not like them (I have been through this with a couple of short stories); iv) it can make a reader await a sequel even though none was planned; & v) some readers do not understand them (nor critics or reviewers… with the open ending in Invasive Species copping me some flak…). I do feel these disadvantages, though, are more inconveniences than anything else. Take them as you will. So that’s open endings. Try it; never know, it might be just what your story needs to finish, |
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