Greetings, You've brought the puzzle full circle from the initiating crime or event by planting subtle and overt clues, tossing off a red herring or two, taking a twist here or there to keep your sleuth (and reader) turning the pages. It's time to solve the puzzle, bring the story or verse to a satisfying conclusion.
If you recall from our last encounter, mysteries have three possible beginnings: a crime, an event that sets the story in motion, or the midst of an investigation. So, too, mysteries for the most part have three possible points of bringing it to an end. Sometimes the type of mystery helps determine the ending. For example, Hercule Poirot, using classic detection, follows the clues and solves the crime. In a noir mystery, the crime may be solved in failure, bringing an end to the 'detective' as well as the mystery.
When the solution is inevitable. Once the clues are found and pieced together, perhaps one stands out and identifies the culprit. For example, the police find a key to the convenience store's back door in the upended purse of the alleged victim of a murder and robbery in the store, implicating her in a crime gone sour. At that point, she either is arrested, turns on her accomplices, or perhaps makes a run for it. The mystery is brought full circle to its solution. But be sure to make it clear to your readers that she should not have a legitimate reason to have the key, but only because she's somehow involved in the crime. All the questions may not be answered as to why or how she came into possession of the key, but her arrest brings the story full circle to its conclusion.
When the crime is solved. All the clues are found, resolved, and the questions raised along the way are answered. The herrings are discarded and the killer is unmasked or the thief caught in commission of another crime and your reader's expectations met. All that's left is to say good-bye with a brief adieu to allow your reader to release the heightened emotions you've raised at the ending.
When things return to normal. This type of ending explores the damage of crimes to the sleuth or bystanders as well as the actual victim upon whom murder or mayhem was performed. For example, your sleuth may find in solving a crime a solution to a personal issue, either returning to the scene or moving on in his/her life. A brief interlude after solving the crime brings closure to the underlying story, a wrap to all the clues presented and discovered.
Note that in each of these endpoints, I've brought the story full circle. A question was raised (the crime or event), possible answers were sought along the way, with action and heightened tension, and finally the question was answered and stability restored.
A mystery can also be linear, with a puzzle (crime) question, possible answers (clues) posed and eliminated until the logical solution is arrived at by the sleuth (and reader). The sleuth can then put closure to one mystery until he's called upon to solve another. Think again of Hercule Poirot perhaps as an example.
However you choose to end the story, full circle or at the end of a line, remember to solve the questions raised, or at least provide logical possibilities for your readers, that they are satisfied that the ending is believable, even if it's not what they expected or surmised. Then they'll be back to read more of your stories, ever unsure of what path you'll take, but sure that it will lead to a satisfying, believable resolution.
I invite you to partake of some mysteries penned by members of our Community and perhaps pen one yourselves ~ whatever the outcome of your story or verse, have fun with it, and your readers will as well.
Write On!
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Mystery: January 13, 2010 Issue [#3471]
