A Bad Ending Ruins a Good Story (2024)

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Can a bad ending ruin a good story? ›

Described by Sebastian Faulks as 'the finest storyteller of his generation', William Boyd details the secret to keeping readers hooked for over four decades as he speaks to Caroline Sanderson about his life as an author. “The ending is crucial to the success of a novel. A bad ending can ruin a good novel”.

While having a good ending is a great asset for any television show, often being the difference between a 9/10 show and a 10/10, a bad ending; even if it is truly awful, can't singlehandedly ruin a great series.

The End – No matter what you call it, the resolution of a story is one of the most important aspects of a tale well told. While an entertaining journey is always worth the trip, the destination at the end of the journey cannot help but color our perception of the entire process.

A good ending is one that stays true to the overall theme of the novel and makes sense. It should satisfy the reader and offer the main character a chance to shine one last time. It doesn't have to be a happy ending. It just has to be convincing so that the reader doesn't feel cheated.

Good stories not only explore nuanced themes and make good use of literary devices, but they also feel natural and organic to the reader, so that every plot point and character choice feels like an inevitable result of the events and choices that have come before.

The ending is often what people remember most vividly about a story. It's the part of the story that sticks with them and influences their overall impression of the work. A memorable ending can turn a good story into a great one. It's what lingers in the minds of the readers long after they've finished the story.

And then there are those who showcase promising potential but are let down thanks to disappointing endings. They can go directly against the messaging that the film has set up; others introduce twists that are utterly nonsensical and flip the film on its axis.

Spoilers can be weaponised in this way because of some of our assumptions about them. Most fundamentally, that they ruin enjoyment. But is it that simple? In a series of psychological experiments published in 2011, researchers in California found that knowing the end of a story did not diminish readers' enjoyment.

How an experience ends often determines how we remember it. (Shortform note: Part of why endings matter is because they force us to reflect more deeply on ourselves. Endings provide an opportunity to look back on an experience to see how it fits into our life narrative and has formed our sense of self.

1. Happily ever after. The most common way to end a story is to resolve the main conflict in a satisfactory way, with the protagonist getting what they need (and often what they want as well, as part of the deal) and the antagonist coming to a sticky end.

Can a story have a sad ending? ›

There are plenty of famous examples of stories with sad endings. It might be the death of a character, failure to realize an ambition or a cruel twist of fate that goes against all our hopes.

A great ending pulls on readers' heartstrings. Although your characters don't have to be buckets of tears or go around shouting exuberantly (which could distance readers because the characters have already done all the emotional exertion), you need to make readers feel sorry to finish your novel.

You could end with a poetic line, epilogue-ish vignettes, or a heartwarming scene. Your ending could offer closure or a cliffhanger. You could choose to tie up loose ends or leave things messy. The possibilities are endless, but there are things you can do to make sure your particular book has just the right ending.

So an ending where everything comes together perfectly will seem unrealistic and maybe even a little bit patronizing to readers. So even if your story is a happy, inspiring story, maybe there's something in the ending that is a little realistic, hints at the gray area nature of life in general.

It's easy to think that we have to end things in a pleasant, positive way. Yet, as writers, we are never tied down. We can explore alternatives and offer a different kind of experience instead. This creative writing blog will explore why the traditional happy ending isn't something we always need to use in our stories.

Cliffhanger

This type of ending must be used with caution, as there is a very high possibility the reader will be left feeling unsatisfied and cheated to have invested in reading all the way through the story, and not have been rewarded with the payoff.