Endings come in many sizes, shapes, and forms in fiction, nonfiction, and reality.
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end.
This is true of every fiction and nonfiction book that you could read or write, as well as reality. We, in these meat suits we occupy for a century or so, begin and end. Along the way, most of what we experience falls into the very wide middle.
Some endings are very cut and dried. Sometimes all the main characters of the story die at the end. Other times, they all live happily ever after. Most often, it’s somewhere in between.
I am always fascinated by endings. There are so many different ways that things end. What’s more, people tend to have wildly different opinions when it comes to good or bad endings.
Additionally, over time, I’ve changed my opinion on certain endings. For example – the TV show Angel. The last episode was very open-ended and ambiguous. The first time I saw it, I was left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. But later, rewatching it, I liked it a lot better. Sure, the show is over – but the characters still have jobs to do.
What is it about endings that cause such visceral reactions in people?
Fandoms are crazy
I have been a fan of Star Wars most of my life. And even with its many imperfections and occasional retcons – and Disney’s ownership of it – I love Star Wars.
The original trilogy had a well-spaced and enjoyable beginning, middle, and end. The prequels, though lacking in many ways, also ran in the same manner. But the sequel trilogy was a bit more frenetic.
I love the introduction of the new characters and how they are tied to the originals. The diversity among them was awesome to see. The Force Awakens was a great Star Wars film.
Though people really disliked The Last Jedi – I loved it. I know that wasn’t how many wanted Luke to be – but it made sense to his character ark. And I enjoyed the premise overall.
Then The Rise of Skywalker, the ending, was a bit of a letdown in certain respects. I believe that it’s still a good ending – but all armchair quarterbacks (or rabid sci-fi fans) have their ideas for how it should have gone.
No ending will satisfy everyone. And not every element of the ending will be satisfactory, either. Since I never expect George RR Martin to finish his Song of Ice and Fire series, the Game of Thrones TV ending was both good and a bit disappointing. It felt like there was some letdown for certain characters and justified endings for others.
Every fandom has its issues with endings. One of the biggest downsides of the internet and social media is how militant some people get when things are not how they believe that such should be.
Lots of great series have had somewhat vague endings. But then, real-life often is full of ambiguous endings.
Endings come in all shapes and sizes
Relationships, jobs, and lives end. Childhood ends. Each of these can be good, bad, neutral, bittersweet, and even a bizarre mix of all. So, it shouldn’t be any wonder that this is reflected in fiction.
Every ending will produce a different emotional reaction. Some will be strong and even violent. Others will be mild. And sometimes, an ending just causes you to scratch your head and ask, “what the hell was that?”
I have recently completed reading three different sci-fi series. Tim Pratt’s The Axiom series, Lindsay Buroker’s Sky Full of Stars series, and Alex White’s The Salvagers series. All of them are sci-fi, and all share one premise – this starship and its unique crew go through some shit.
Two out of three of these had very definite endings. Yes, there could be more – but the storyline is complete. A satisfying beginning and middle lead up to the end.
The other ended – but also didn’t. It was left very open to continuation.
All three ended differently. Beloved characters lived and died. Overall, triumph and success for the main characters – though with greater and lesser trials and losses along the way.
Some people like an ending of tragedy, rather than triumphant heroes scoring a win. I am okay with the win being flawed and not without its sorrow – but I like my ending on a positive note.
I don’t know what it says about a person if they prefer tragic endings to happy endings. Maybe, for me, this is a reflection of my largely optimistic worldview.
Why am I thinking about endings?
As an author, the things I write have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
At least, for the most part.
I just finished another round of editing on book 3 of my Source Chronicles fantasy series, Harbinger. Spoiler alert – Harbinger’s ending is super open-ended. But that’s because it’s book 3 of 5.
At the end of 2021, I completed the first 4 books of my Forgotten Fodder clone sci-fi series. Presently, I am writing the 5th and final novel of my Void Incursion sci-fi (sci-fantasy) series, Check and Mate. As such, I’m wrapping up 5 books worth of work that I started in September of 2015. To conclude the series, there is a great deal of exposition and a lot of storylines to close out.
In addition, I am rebranding the podcast I have been doing since 2018. Recently, I moved it from where I hosted it to a whole network with much more support. As such, we have determined rebranding it is in order. Thus – Awareness for Everyone, a weekly companion since 2019, has ended.
But then, I’ve hit an important thing about endings. Sure, the “story” has come to its conclusion. But is it really the end? Or is it room for a new beginning?
I have 4 more Forgotten Fodder novels outlined. One arc ended – but I have another.
Six novels for my new Savagespace series have been laid out. Though starting the series has been delayed – it is still a new beginning on the horizon.
And although Awareness for Everyone ended – Self-Awareness for Everyone, the rebranded podcast, launches soon.
And now, the conclusion
Even an article like this one must come to an end.
Endings come in many sizes, shapes, and forms in fiction, nonfiction, and reality. How you react to them will vary depending on how they impact you, the investment you have in whatever ended, and other inexplicable factors.
Accepting endings can be a whole other challenge. Some people avoid them at all costs. That’s been an ongoing premise of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who. But even The Doctor reaches endings – he/she just keeps moving past them to new beginnings.
That, to me, is the final note. Recognizing and acknowledging endings doesn’t necessarily make them less difficult. But I do think it makes looking for and/or creating new beginnings easier to focus on. But of course, your mileage may vary.
Do you have preferred endings for certain things in your life?
Thank you for being part of my ongoing journey, for joining me, and for inspiring me and my craft.
This is the one-hundred and forty-ninth article exploring the ongoing creative process. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
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