How to write the very last chapter of your book aka the resolution. Writing a solid final chapter is pivotal to the success of your novel because it's the last impression you're leaving your readers with so it could make or break their impression of your book. No pressure.
by Jenna Moreci
The resolution is different than the climax.
Climax: the most intense moment; where conflict comes to a head; usually happens within the last few chapters
Resolution: the aftermath of the climax once everything gets resolved; the very last chapter
Climax = the explosion
Resolution = the dust settling
1. Understand its purpose.
2. Know your destination. Tie up loose ends. If something is left unresolved it needs to be on purpose for the sake of being mysterious.
3. Don't forget your subplots.
4. Look to your beginning. Quite often the resolution of your story is somehow a mirror of or the antithesis to the beginning. This gives you the opportunity to show where the characters started and how much they've changed since then. Highlight things they wouldn't have said in the beginning.
5. Bring your themes home. Make it thought-provoking and emotional.
6. Get over yourself. Don't get preachy. Don't tell your reader how to feel. Instead, evoke emotion throughout the story. Don't state themes explicitly. Themes are meant to be understated, not spelled out in neon lights.
7. Convenience is your enemy. If your conflict is eliminated too conveniently or coincidentally, readers will be mad.
8. We get it! Not everything needs to be spelled out! You don't need a page-and-a-half about the main character realizing that another character was in love with them all along.
9. Satisfaction: Leave the reader with what they signed up for. For example, if you're writing a romance, that means the resolution needs to have a happy ending. It's a requirement of the genre, and thus, that's what readers expect.
10. Shut up. Don't show every detail of the aftermath. That's what epilogues are for, but epilogues are short! The resolution is supposed to resolve the story and open up some new questions.
DO NOT:
- introduce a new cast
- expand upon the world
- show the day-to-day life of the existing characters
If you are tempted to go this route, stop yourself before you start.
The 3 main elements of great book endings
1. The main problem and antagonist are addressed.
2. Loose ends are tied up.
3. Character arcs are complete.
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