This brilliant essay discusses the way strong endings in fiction often “hover” or don’t come to a full stop. Note, this is a delicate truth. Writing endings that “hover” does not mean no resolution or an abrupt cutting off. The ideas being pursued must have a sense of finishing, but the ending itself may hover as most events in life do…because life itself continues. This is from the article:
Riefler states:
I’ve noticed that stories that appear to have resolutions don’t give me the satisfaction I want them to, and I imagine that’s true for some of you as well. Even if we crave resolution, it only satisfies us briefly. I’d say that the popularity of sequels and serials speaks to the fact that as humans we know that nothing resolves. Nelly Riefler, “Endings that Hover“
The full essay is here:
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