Suzy's Writing Corner - Lesson 16- Satisfying Endings

Reach for the Stars! Writing Workshop for Kids

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Suzy's Writing Corner

Welcome to my writing workshop for budding young authors. Learn how to create your characters and "show don't tell" their feelings. Write beginnings that "hook" your readers. Learn to use a "writing camera" to freeze a scene, and more! Download free worksheets. Click LESSON 1 on the left sidebar to begin.
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Aug. 20, 2007

Lesson 16- Satisfying Endings

Welcome to the last lesson of Reach for the Stars writing workshop! If you've made it this far and have completed every lesson (you know who you are), you qualify for a Certificate of Completion, designed by yours truly (me), and mailed to you for your homeschooling portfolio. I will also feature you in the Roll Call of Young Writers here on Suzy's Writing Corner, and write up a nice blog entry to post here. It's a lot of hard work and you deserve praise for a job well done.

That said, let's explore the last lesson, which is appropriately called "Satisfying Endings."
Have you ever read a story (or written one) that just never seems to end? The main character has accomplished his/her goal and yet the story feels "unfinished." Or....how would you feel if the author, after the climax, simply wrote, "That's the end of the story"? I don't know about you, but I'd feel cheated.

A satisfying (but not always a sweet, happy) ending makes me sigh and say, "That was a good book!" I put it away on my shelf to pick up and enjoy the adventure another day. So...the ENDING to your story is just as important as the grabber BEGINNING of your story or the PEAKS and VALLEYS of your story. A story without a satisfying ending is like cake with no frosting---dry and tasteless. On the other hand, you don't want to put a TON of frosting on a cake. Likewise, you don't want the ending to drag on and on. You want it "just right."

The worksheets today will give you something to keep in your writing folder to refer back to. Here are the ingredients for a satisfying ending: (You don't have to use them all)

1) A memory of the plot or problem
2) The character's feelings
3) A decision the character may have made as a result of his adventure
4) A hope for the future

To show you how this works, I've taken the ending of two great books and highlighted how the author used these ingredients to create a satisfying ending to the book. I've matched the ingredients by color to the words in the ending that show their use.

Charlotte's Web: (by E.B. White)
Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.

Runaway Ralph: (by Beverly Cleary)
Ralph remained behind at the inn, where he rides around every night in his sports car, generously giving rides to his relatives and enjoying their company now that they have benefited from his education. He is strict about one thing, however. Ralph is the only mouse who sits in the driver's seat of the laser XL7.

OK, that's the easy part! Now, what happens if I give you a boring story ending and YOU have to turn it into a satisfying ending? Here is a boring ending:

Once I found my way out I went home and went to bed. THE END

Now, imagine what it was like being lost in the woods. Imagine how it would feel to find your way out. REVISE this boring ending by using at least 2 of the ingredients for a satisfying ending: (I'll do this one as an example)

Memory of being lost: how dark the trees looked; stumbling around in the dark; hearing the owl hooting
A Feeling: terror; heart pounding; tears streaming down; relief at seeing the light of the house
A Decision: never go into the woods alone again
A Hope or Wish about the future: To see the warm bed!

It had been a long, scary night. The trees that had once towered over Sarah like giants faded away in her memory like a bad dream. She wiped away the tears that poured down her cheeks when she'd tripped and fallen over the stones in the dark path. Now, safe and warm in her bed, Sarah knew she would never again venture into the woods alone--especially at night. Her mother and father had been right, and she loved them for making rules that protected her.

There is another example of how to do this on the worksheet. OK, ready for your assignment?

1) Download the worksheets for this lesson by clicking the link below:

LESSON 16- STORY ENDINGS

2) Copy and paste the following story ending into a post and see if you can find ALL 4 of the ingredients. They are there: A FEELING, A MEMORY, A DECISION, and a HOPE. Highlight and color the words (it may be one word or a whole sentence) to match which ingredient it shows. Have fun! There is no perfectly "right" or "wrong" answer here.

Doris the cat purred happily and curled up in the sunny window. She shivered a little when she thought about how long she'd lived in the streets as a skinny, stray cat. But that was then. now she knew she would never again choose to wander about chasing mice like she used to. It would be fancy cat food for her from now on, served in a fancy glass dish. As old Mrs. Winn patted her soft coat, Doris stretched and hoped that life would always be this good!

--(from The Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever by Barbara Mariconda)

3) Choose one of the "boring" story endings from the worksheet and imagine 2 or 3 ingredients that could turn it into a satisfying ending. Post the ending for me.

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Comments

Jan. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by BookLover

You said I was in trouble????? I don't understand why! (even if you WERE joking!)