Endings are just about the most difficult thing to pull off well in writing. So much buildup, so much expectation, and it all has to pay off in just the right way and it all has to be earned. A bad ending can ruin everything that came before.

In trying to figure out what makes a good ending good, I came up with the criteria I’ve outlined below. I tried to follow these criteria in the writing of my forthcoming novel, Ungodly Trifles. I’m not sure if I succeeded in giving my novel a fully satisfying ending, but here is what I wanted out of my ending, and what I want out of all endings:

1. It should feel inevitable. Ideally, the reader or audience should say, “Of course! Of course it ended this way. There is no other way this could have ended.” It should make absolute, total sense that the story brought us to this resolution.

2. It should be unexpected or surprising. This seems to fly in the face of criteria number 1, but that’s what’s so wonderful about it: the reader or audience should only see that the ending was inevitable after the fact. Retroactive inevitability is so satisfying.

3. It should be ambiguous. There should be gaps for the reader to fill in for him- or herself. There should be some degree of interpretation left to the reader. A happy ending should come at a cost.

If you would like to see an ending perfectly match these criteria, please watch the TV show Six Feet Under from start to finish. It is worth watching all five seasons just to be able to experience the final ten minutes.

What are some other examples of satisfying endings? Do you disagree with any of my criteria, or have criteria to add?

