How do you know when you reach "The End"?

[pixxiepinks]

I finished one of my novels not too long ago, and there was a very strange moment where after I typed the last line for the newest chapter, I realized that I had written the ending. Like some sort of Writer 6th sense, I just knew that this was the last chapter, that this is where the story was meant to end. (even though I had planned out a few more chapters).

So I'm curious, how do you guys know when the story is done?

Edit:
The story in question is a Fantasy Adventure novel. And I'm realizing that perhaps how I write is vastly different from other people. For I try my best to not outline the whole plot in advance, If I know the ending before writing, I don't want to write it. Most of the fun in creative writing for me is finding out where the story will go along with the reader. I am aware this can lead to plot holes and tone changes, but those are all things that can be fixed in post. Maybe I"m just weird, but that is how I write. So let me phrase this question in a different way.

Why is the ending "the ending" for you? Have you ever had a story end before you thought it would? Do you plan your ending super in advance?

[kalmia]

There’s usually a couple ways to tell you’ve reached your ending of your
• You’ve reached your resolution. You’ve been writing and following basic story beats- rising action, falling action, climax, etc. The resolution is the last beat of your story. If you’ve hit your resolution, you’re most likely at your final chapters.
•You’ve concluded all of your main plot and most of your sub plots.. This kind of goes along with the first part, but if you’ve resolved all of your problems in your story, you’re probably at the end. No need to create more issues after the big bad has been defeated, unless perhaps you’re writing a series instead of a single installment. Audiences tend to like their endings with most things solved and tied together with a bow. If you’ve done that, you’re probably at the ending
•You can’t figure out what else to do. This is more applicable after your climax. If your story has finished its climax and now you’re stuck, unsure what else to do, chances are your story should probably be about to its end. No need to force things that just don’t flow naturally with the story. If you’re shoving ideas into your ending just so you can keep writing it just a little bit longer, your story’s ending is most likely going to be a big mess.

[Emalie]

I think I understand you. I don't know what the others will do, but strangely I felt the same. I no longer saw any reason to continue the story I'm sharing after writing a particular scene that I haven't posted yet. I didn't feel like I had to give it more continuity after that. I am used to writing short stories and I have tried to create different content.

So instead of writing more and more chapters just to drag out the plot, I realized it was time to finish the story.

But this also depends on what you are creating. It depends on the context itself. It may be that there is no more story to tell or it is something very complex and you need to cover more subplots.

[llobucervallince]

started the story in my head from the ending, just had to figure out how to get to that point

[ThunderChicken]

Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days was finished when I got to the end of the stuff I wanted to tell. It still updates sporadically with short stories and extras but the main story has completed.

Finding Daecon’s Way is a different matter. I thought I had it finished (the writing, not the publishing - so far only half has been published or is scheduled to be published), but then went and dreamed up a whole second book. And I’ve barely started writing that one and a third one came to me.

I guess it’ll be finished when I get bored with the characters or can’t think of anything new for them to do.

[AmysGames]

When I first saw the title, I was a little confused, like... isn't it obvious? It's when the main storyline is fully resolved? But then I started thinking about it, and I guess not every story has a "main plot" so to speak. If you're writing something lowkey, like slice-of-life or romance, the answer isn't always that clear-cut.

I guess in that case, it'd be once you feel you've reached a point where there's no more storylines worth exploring. Maybe when your main character overcomes a problem they've had since the beginning of the story, maybe they're entering a new life stage where they aren't going to be interacting with the other characters anymore, or maybe you've just exhausted everything you can think of to write about those characters. It really depends on the story, I think.

[ueonts]

See what happens if you were to push the story to see if it is worth continuing past that point. If it feels unneeded then cut it out.

[BoomerZ]

Truthfully your story should have had an ending before you even started. A story is not a story without a beginning, middle, and end. And knowing your ending means you know where you are going. Writer like J.R.R. Martin wrote himself into a corner as he has no idea where his story is going. A lot of writer do this. So know the climax your are writing to and you will know when you are done.

[TheLemmaLlama]

Like some sort of Writer 6th sense, I just knew that this was the last chapter, that this is where the story was meant to end. (even though I had planned out a few more chapters).

I feel like this could happen easily if you force yourself to outline the whole thing from the get-go and stick to it relatively 'rigidly'; your brain will continue to chew on alternate ways to structure your story but you're not modifying your outline to match, so it comes out when you do the actual writing Maybe that's not how it happened with you though, idk XD

I guess in that case, it'd be once you feel you've reached a point where there's no more storylines worth exploring. Maybe when your main character overcomes a problem they've had since the beginning of the story, maybe they're entering a new life stage where they aren't going to be interacting with the other characters anymore, or maybe you've just exhausted everything you can think of to write about those characters. It really depends on the story, I think.

Hm, now I'm feeling compelled to think about how this applies to my slice-of-life:

No more storylines worth exploring? Exhausted everything you can think of to write about those characters? Nah, I'm defs planning to write more stuff after bitwam, I've just decided to make them into sequels rather than part of the same 'story'

Main character overcomes a problem they've had since the beginning of the story? Entering a new life stage where they aren't going to be interacting with the other characters anymore? Well, there wasn't exactly a problem established at the start of the story ... I guess the first 'arc' marks the establishment and resolution of one problem? And my MC is still interacting with the other characters after the ending ...

I guess for me, it's a mixture of 'MC entering a new stage of life', and also structure; my comic is split into 4 'arcs' of similar length, all to do with a different character, but the stories I planned afterwards break that pattern. That's probably a big reason for why I'm designating the end of Arc 4 as the end of bitwam as a whole

Does this generalize though? I also have other stories I plan to write that start off as a sort of 'episodic' thing but cumulates into longer arcs, which is sort of 'breaking the pattern' But I still consider them part of the same story. Probably because the longer arcs aren't standalone and require the previous episodic stuff as context/buildup.

So in the end, I guess it's a mixture of factors, and also somewhat story-dependent XD

[pixxiepinks]

I actually actively do my best to not write the ending before I start. If I know what the ending is, then I tend to lose interest in a story, I like having the freedom to move it in any direction I want without following an outline too heavily. I'm aware that this method of writing is definitely not for everyone, but for me, I've found that just letting the setting and characters go where they will is the best way for me to write.
So it was kinda interesting for me when I wrote the end and went "oh, that's the ending".

(I do outline a little, major story beats are noted, and general structures for the chapter laid out, but I don't tend to outline anything more than 3 chapters in advance. The heavy outlining works against me rather then helps me.)

[BoomerZ]

The point with knowing the ending is you have somewhere to go, not just wandering looking for a climax. If you don't know the climax, you can't build to it. And that build is the only reason the story exists. How you get to that climax can change as you go as new ideas pop into your head, but at least its moving to a point.

[smokesalty]

For me, I have a memory of outlining the story, not knowing how long it'd be until it ended and then I just eventually went "oh, this event feels like a good time to bring in the climax of the story. It just feels right."

I had to of course, go back and fix that scene (still needs fixes now) in order to build that tension but it was because at that point I felt I'd covered what I needed to in the story to go "okay, now the MC has had his revelation, and he'll have to go through the final dramatic fight/moment to reach the end goal of the story."

Like I didn't have any later events that needed addressing, and things that I needed to add were added earlier to fit the flow of the story. I knew planning that scene that I'd be gathering all the things I'd set up earlier and all the foreshadowing I'd set up would be put into effect.

I think it's just kind of reaching a point that feels like you've covered the main bases in your story. Like editing is going to happen obviously, but you've reached point b of the journey your story was going on.

[JoshRaed]

You have to decide for yourself honestly.

[cherrystark]

While I don't believe you need to know the exact ending like @BoomerZ suggested, I think you do need to be cognizant of how long the plot line should go, like with fairytales we know the story is over after the prince finds Cinderella again or when the Beast's spell is broken.

If your plot centers around a romance, it needs to end with a HEA, HFN, or tragedy. A Heros Journey story needs to end when the journey comes to an end.

[Innocynce]

I normally plan the ending..

But in your case; it sounds like you're able to do this in a stream of thought.. Which is a rarity for me, as I had bad luck doing this..

I kinda experienced this and to this day have no idea if I really finished any book without a genuine "The ending should be something like this" in mind. The only novel I can refer to though is: UBERNATURA. While I'm planning on copy/pasting and editing the entire script here, I actually don't have a clear idea of what the end should be.

I've written it, but since the entire script was based on parodying anime; the end is the end of the last anime I wanted to parody in UBERNATURA. But it's messy, complicated, unclear and if I post as is you'd probably feel the same "existential crisis" I did when I wrote and read it...

While other stories had a "This is the end, even if it's not exact" feel, UBERNATURA never came close. And I hope I can feel what you did after editing it..

to actually answer the question; I know I reached: The End, when it doesn't feel pointless and stupid. Even if I wanted to write a bad ending, it can't feel like the whole thing was meaningless by The End