: Re: Anticlimactic ending as a surprise after climax? Note: my story is for a video game, but that should hopefully be irrelevant to the question itself. Our heroes spent a long time fighting their

In order for your last ending to feel worthwhile, it needs to complete some important part of the protagonist's story arc left unfinished at the big battle. The Wizard of Oz has an anticlimatic second ending, but it has a crucial purpose. The apparent first ending (flying home with the Wizard in his balloon) is too passive. Dorothy still needs to learn that she controls her own destiny --she has her own source of power.

Your story, as currently presented, doesn't give the reader this, so it will feel doubly frustrating. First, the build up to the battle will seem like an unnecessary repetition. Then, the battle itself will seem like a useless cop-out.

But that doesn't mean you couldn't rewrite it to make it function properly. You'll need to find some way to make the first ending less satisfying, and to build a promise into it that you'll fulfill with the second. For instance, maybe your main character is saved only by outside help in the first ending, and the second one is where he proves he can stand on his own. Or he's tempted by dark power in the first ending, and decisively rejects it in the second. Something like that.

Load Full (0)

: Too Many Goals? Not unsimilar to myself, my protagonist potentially has too many goals. He's isn't a likeable character (which is how I intended him) so to keep reader interest, I would like

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: Can I assume readers will root for my protagonist in a man vs. beast story? I am writing a short Sci-Fi story centered entirely on the man vs. beast narrative where the protagonist attempts

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: From where is this poem? Hi can someone please tell me from where this poem is and what it's called? The thick dank mists come stealing down, And press me on every side. With never

@Moriarity138

Load Full 2 Comments

: Glittering points of light. The whole point of a dark story --morally dark --should be to highlight and showcase points of light that might be lost or overlooked in a more brightly lit

: Re: Anticlimactic ending as a surprise after climax? Note: my story is for a video game, but that should hopefully be irrelevant to the question itself. Our heroes spent a long time fighting their

More posts by @Moriarity138

: Too Many Goals? Not unsimilar to myself, my protagonist potentially has too many goals. He's isn't a likeable character (which is how I intended him) so to keep reader interest, I would like

: Can I assume readers will root for my protagonist in a man vs. beast story? I am writing a short Sci-Fi story centered entirely on the man vs. beast narrative where the protagonist attempts

: From where is this poem? Hi can someone please tell me from where this poem is and what it's called? The thick dank mists come stealing down, And press me on every side. With never

: Glittering points of light. The whole point of a dark story --morally dark --should be to highlight and showcase points of light that might be lost or overlooked in a more brightly lit

Login to post a comment!

0 Comments

Back to top