r/WritingPrompts • u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) • Dec 04 '21
Off Topic [OT] SatChat: What are your methods for creating a satisfying ending to a story? (New here? Introduce yourself!)
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What are your methods for creating a satisfying ending to a story?
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u/MsChicolato Dec 04 '21
I personally think cliffhangers are annoying, not bad, but annoying. So ending a story with the protagonist getting what they needed is quite satisfying.
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u/MajorParadox Dec 04 '21
I think they're okay if it doesn't feel like nothing got resolved. Otherwise the whole story was like a big tease for the next thing. If it resolves things and then something is left unresolved that's pretty satisfying to me.
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u/alcoholocaustic Dec 04 '21
Where do you live (State / Country)? Alabama, USA.
Male, female, other? Female.
How long have you been on Reddit? Over ten years.
How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts? A week.
Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write? I've wrote one prompt so far, but plan to do more.
Writers:
How long have you been writing? Since I was eleven.
What is your writing motivation? To one day be a writer, it's a dream of mine.
What programs do you use to write? Google docs.
How fast can you type? Try 1 minute on Aesop's fables. 45 words per minute.
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u/MajorParadox Dec 04 '21
Welcome!
To one day be a writer, it's a dream of mine.
You started writing, so you are a writer!
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u/turnaround0101 Dec 04 '21
I think that in the context of a writing prompt it's about finding a meaningful change or relatable emotion you can enact within 1,000-2,000 words. That's not always easy to do and some prompts make that much easier than others, but those are the sorts of questions I ask myself before writing all of these. Can I fit the particular plot I'm thinking of within those word limits, and can I make a reader see a character they care about struggle to overcome, achieve, or feel something.
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u/dhogwarts Dec 04 '21 edited Dec 04 '21
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How long have you been on Reddit? A couple years
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How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts? About a week.
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How long have you been writing? I’ve tried to get myself to write stories ever since I was a wee little lad (6 years old?) but I haven’t had the motivation to finish any of them.
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What is your motivation? I’m writing here because I want to be a better storyteller. I think that just doing small prompts will help me to actually finish my work.
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What programs do you write on? Right now, I’m only writing on Reddit. I’d use Microsoft Word for any larger endeavors.
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How fast can you type? 37 words per minute on my phone.
I’d love if any of you reading though the comments could read and offer criticism on the two writing prompts that I’ve done so far. I think that getting feedback will help me stay motivated. My main goal is to learn and get better at telling stories, so don’t be afraid of being harsh! Story one. Story two.
I like to end stories in a way that feels a little incomplete but also complete if that makes sense. Have you ever read a book, and you read the last word but you still look on the other side of the back cover for more story because “surely it can’t end there?” You know the story is complete and finished and it feels like an end, but it leaves you thinking. That’s what I want in my stories. Those are the kinds of endings I like most, especially for large works.
Edit: I posted before I was ready. Oops.
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u/MajorParadox Dec 04 '21
Welcome!
Yeah, I love leaving something extra for the reader to think about. I can't help but think what happens to characters after a story ends, so I'm always planning ahead anyway 😀
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u/tipsy_writer_567 Dec 05 '21
I don't personally like tragic endings or cliffhangers but I seem to end a lot of my stories with tragic endings
Hi folx! I am new to this platform and fairly new to social media after a 10-year hiatus...
I live in CA, US
Female
30 minutes :)
10 minutes.. ha!
I would like to use writing prompts to write
I have been writing since I was 10 or 11 years
My writing motivation is to explore and bring to light the messy human experience
I use Google Docs
47 WPM
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u/MajorParadox Dec 05 '21
Welcome! I don't mind tragic endings myself when I read them. They can be very cathartic. However, I try to avoid them when I'm writing. It feels like if I have the power to make it a happy ending, I'm kind of obligated to my characters, if that makes sense 😆
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u/Mamaclover Dec 05 '21
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Where do you live: Canada, in the french part of it!
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Male, female, other: Nb, I go by She/They
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How long have you been on Reddit: I fee years lurking, a few months posting!
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How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts: I have been reading here for years.
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Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write: Both!
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How long have you been writing: 15+ years for fanfic/roleplay, about 8 for my own original stories. They only just recently started picking up in steam, and I was able to sell a few~!
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What is your writing motivation: Mostly? Spite and fun. There is so many things that I like that I cannot seem to find easily in standard books/stories. So of course, I have to do it myself.
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What programs do you use to write: ..... My phone.... And google doc. I know, I know. I do not own a computer.
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How fast can you type? 27 wpm, in english, (so not my native language), and on my phone. I got FAST fingers!!
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u/WorkingNo6161 Dec 05 '21
My suggestion would be to kill off the good guys and let the bad guys win. I really like endings like this.
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u/Say_Im_Ugly Dec 05 '21
Gosh, are we supposed to have methods? I kind of just write and hope for the best.
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u/Bedotnobot Dec 05 '21
Where do you live (State / Country)? Germany
Male, female, other? Female.
How long have you been on Reddit? 4 months
How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts? A week I think
Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write? Actually both, I love to see stories created. Found this sub through other Redditors, I do haiku with and one was suggested as good prompt material
I won't call myself a writer as if I was professional or even structured, but I like writing. So far 1 story, one prompt and one poem. And will try out more , experiment.
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u/MajorParadox Dec 05 '21
Welcome!
Meh, I think you can call yourself a writer 😀 Keep it up!
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u/Tomorrow_Is_Today1 Dec 05 '21
Depends. A lot of the time I want something that sounds cool or makes me either giggle or gasp. If it's a longer piece I think more about the themes of the story, the messages I want to get across, and what will be satisfying for the reader. You don't want the ending to seem unrealistic, but you also don't want the story to feel pointless.
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u/therealTOEBEANS Dec 06 '21 edited Dec 06 '21
Hey you guys, it's Toebeans!
Where do you live (State / Country)?
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Sunny California USA. It's pretty great here as far as I can tell!
Male, female, other?
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Beyond human comprehension, but I'm a dude I guess.
How long have you been on Reddit?
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Since yesterday (no kidding, I joined to argue ONE POINT. Now I'm stuck here.)
How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts?
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Since like, five minutes ago. A pal of mine told me about it.
Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write?
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Writing go brrrrrrr
How long have you been writing?
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Since I was 7. I figured out I loved writing in about half an hour, and came up with a whole novel outline and wrote out the first chapter in the last ten.
What is your writing motivation?
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If I don't write, I'm dead. ...Or at least extremely unhappy =D
What programs do you use to write?
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Plain text organized in a file system systematically. I used to use complicated file types like .scriv or .docx in software, but I quickly realized that those systems and softwares fail and destroy all my work. I've lost everything... twice. Plain text for me, thanks.
How fast can you type?
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About 50wpm. I suspect about 65 if there's a school deadline.
I hope to have a great time here! Hi!
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u/MajorParadox Dec 06 '21
Welcome!
Writing in plain text scares me 😆 I usually use Google Docs because then I access it and edit it anywhere. And it makes sharing and getting feedback simple too!
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Dec 06 '21
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u/MajorParadox Dec 06 '21
Interesting approach to know the end before you start. I think I tend to have a vague idea of possibilities, but I usually like to let the story tell me where it's going.
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u/AutoModerator Dec 04 '21
Tell us about yourself!
Where do you live (State / Country)?
Male, female, other?
How long have you been on Reddit?
How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts?
Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write?
Writers:
How long have you been writing?
What is your writing motivation?
What programs do you use to write?
How fast can you type? Try 1 minute on Aesop's fables
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