Resolutions, Cliffhangers, and Open Doors
How to End Your Book
As an author, how you choose to end your book has a significant impact on how readers feel as they close the final page—and whether they’ll pick up your next one. I believe there are three ways to end a book: a resolution, a cliffhanger, or what I personally favor, an open door.
1. Resolutions: Tying Up Loose Ends
A resolution offers a clear and satisfying conclusion to your story. It answers all the major questions, resolves the main conflict, and leaves readers with a sense of closure. These are best used for standalone novels or series finales where no further installments are planned. A Resolution Ending leaves readers feeling content and fulfilled. While resolutions are a reliable choice, they don’t leave much for readers to anticipate in a future book.
2. Cliffhangers: Unresolved Drama
Cliffhangers leave the story’s central conflict unresolved, cutting off at a moment of heightened tension or danger. They are designed to hook readers and compel them to pick up the next installment. In my opinion, these are best used for serialized stories with rapid release schedules so readers don’t storm your email address. A Cliffy builds suspense and creates immediate anticipation for the next book. However, they can frustrate readers if used excessively or without payoff leading them to shouting in ALL CAPS!!!!! about the unfairness of it all.
3. Open Doors: The Best of Both Worlds
My favorite kind of ending, and the one that I was taught as an episodic television screenwriter is what I call the Open Door. The open door offers a resolution to the main storyline, giving readers the satisfaction of closure, while simultaneously introducing a new storyline or problem to carry them into the next book. This method provides balance: readers feel the main story is complete, but they’re intrigued by the threads left for future exploration. This doorway is best used for ongoing series or stories where continuity is key. It keeps readers satisfied while enticing them to read on. However, this framework requires careful planning to seamlessly transition between storylines.
Oftentimes, readers remember the last thing they read most vividly. Open door endings tap into this by leaving a lasting impression of both satisfaction and anticipation. They give readers enough closure to feel content but leave a bit of a cliff for them to get excited for what’s next.
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