Ending a scene



Ending a scene


Beginning and ending scenes

How story scenes begin and end is another important component of constructing effective scenes. Not every type of opening and ending is appropriate for every type of scene, so you will need to think about factors like the purpose of the scene, how long you want the scene to be and the kind of mood you want to convey to the reader in the scene. In beginning a scene, you should think about how to grab the reader’s attention. At the end of a scene, you need to think about how to keep the reader turning pages.


Five ways to end a scene

End in mid-event. Cliffhangers are a time-honoured way of wrapping up a scene. For example, in his novel Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell ends one scene in the middle of the action as a heroine is entering a potentially fatal conflict with the antagonist’s henchmen. This type of end draws the reader on to keep reading.
End with a character epiphany. A character may have a realisation that changes the story from this point forward.
End with the character learning new information or setting a new motive or goal. As with the realisation, the course of the story might change at this point.
End with emotional turmoil. The event or incident of the scene may be over, but that does not mean the character or characters have emerged unscathed.
End with a promise. In other words, the scene ends, but it leaves the reader anticipating what is ahead. For example, in a mystery novel, a scene might end with one character promising to tell another about a big secret the town has been hiding.


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