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Learning how to wrap up a story and solve the character's problem.
Imagine you are eating a delicious ice cream cone, but just before the last bite, it disappears! That is how a reader feels when a story doesn't have a proper ending. How do we give them that 'last bite' of the story?
Every good story starts with a problem. Maybe a dragon is grumpy, or a girl lost her favorite hat. The ending of the story is called the resolution. This is a fancy word for the 'fix.' It is the part of the story where the character finally solves their problem. To have a great resolution, you must make sure the problem you started with is actually gone! If the character was sad because they were lonely, the resolution should show them finding a friend. Without a resolution, the reader will feel confused and keep asking, 'But what happened next?'
Quick Check
What is the 'fancy' word for the part of the story where the problem is fixed?
Answer
The resolution.
Let's look at a simple story path: 1. The Problem: Sam cannot find his red mitten in the snow. 2. The Action: Sam looks under the porch and inside the shed. 3. The Resolution: Sam finds the mitten inside his dog's bed. The problem is solved!
After the problem is fixed, you need a closing sentence. This is like the 'bow' at the end of a performance. It tells the reader that the story is officially over. A good closing sentence often tells the reader how the character feels now that the trouble is gone. You might use words like finally, at last, or happily. Instead of just stopping, you wrap everything up in a neat little package so the reader feels satisfied.
Quick Check
What does a closing sentence tell the reader?
Answer
It tells the reader that the story is officially over and often how the character feels.
Which sentence feels like a better 'Big Finish' for a story about a lost cat? 1. 'The cat was in the tree.' 2. 'With a loud purr, Whiskers snuggled into Sarah's arms, glad to be home at last.'
Number is better because it uses a feeling (glad) and a closing word (at last).
Sometimes, a story doesn't end with a fix. It ends with a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger is when the story stops right in the middle of the action! For example, if a character opens a mystery box and the story ends before we see what is inside, that is a cliffhanger. While cliffhangers are exciting for TV shows or long books, a resolution is usually better for a short story because it makes the reader feel like they learned the whole secret. A resolution is a 'full stop,' while a cliffhanger is a 'to be continued...'
Look at these two endings and decide which is which: 1. 'The knight defeated the dragon and the kingdom was safe forever.' (This is a resolution because the work is done.) 2. 'The knight reached for the door handle, wondering what monster lived on the other side...' (This is a cliffhanger because we are left waiting!)
If a story is about a boy who is hungry, what would be a good resolution?
Which of these is a 'cliffhanger' ending?
A closing sentence should make the reader feel like the story is finished.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to remember the word that means 'the fix' for a story's problem.
Practice Activity
Pick your favorite movie and explain to a friend how the main problem was solved at the very end.