“You might be able to write a book in a month, but I’m only on chapter five. I have four kids, you know.”  Sally wasn’t wearing makeup today, her blond hair tied back in a ponytail. She looked like she’d lost some weight, her blue eyes a bit tired.  “I spent all weekend spring cleaning my house.  I haven’t touched my book in a week. My ending is so far out of site, I’ve forgotten what I’m writing about.”

“It’s all right, Sally,” I said and nudged my uneaten bran muffin over to her. “You’ve just forgotten what you’re aiming for. See, if you set out on a journey without a destination, you might get lost or even…discouraged.”

She tore off a chunk of the muffin.  “So, you’re saying that crafting the ending of my novel helps me with my beginning, and helps me stay motivated?”

“Exactly.  Think of your novel like the before and after pictures of a weight loss journey.  The before picture is Act 1, where your character is starting their journey.  The After Picture is the ending, after the Black Moment, Epiphany and the Finale where they overcome all the things they couldn’t at the beginning.   The reader needs to see the change, and there is an easy question to help them see it:  What can your character do at the end of the book they can’t at the beginning?  The answer to this is how you construct your triumphant ending.

“It works like this:  You start your character on a journey, and they have to want something, but be unable to attain it.  During the course of the journey, the external plot points affect the internal character journey so that the character begins to want to change, and gets tools toward change, and even opportunities to change.  When they reach the Black Moment, they realize their need to change, and their Epiphany causes this to happen. But in order for us to believe they’ve changed, they have to be tested.  This is called the Final Battle.

“In the Final Battle, they do that thing they can’t do at the beginning of the book.  During the Final Battle, they are again tempted to give up, but they are reminded of the truth (the Epiphany) and finally press on to the Triumphant Ending.  This is when we take the “after” picture.  And this is where your reader says…wow, if they can do it, I can too. Or maybe they simply walk away with some element of truth they ponder.

“In order to build this triumphant ending you need a few tools: 

• You need to ask: What is the takeaway from this book?
• Another way to put this is to ask: What is the storyquestion…and what is the answer?
• From that, Ask: How will my character find the answer?
• Finally, Ask:  What is that thing they can do at the end that they can’t at the beginning?

“Armed with these questions, you can build into the beginning of your story the following: A glimpse of what they want, and why they can’t get it. A Story Question, subtly woven into the first chapter (and dealt with throughout the book). An attempt at the beginning to “do what they can’t do,” and a failure.”

Sally had finished off the muffin as we talked.  She nodded.  “So, you’re saying, knowing where I’m going will save me from getting lost along the way.”

“Yes.  It allows you, as the author, to weave in the theme all the way through the story, instead of suddenly inserting it in Act 3.  And, it allows the author to show the complete character change.  Finally, it helps you to build a truly triumphant moment into the story by showing that indeed, your character is changed…forever.  Love, faith, hope, courage, strength…whatever really WILL win the day!  The truth is, without a triumphant ending, the story isn’t finished. We just don’t know if the character is truly changed.  If you want your reader to shout, hurrah! you need to build in the Final Battle and the Triumphant Ending.”

“So my homework is to plot the triumphant ending?”  She wiped the bran crumbs off the table. “And that will keep me moving forward?”

“Yes,” I said, smiling into Sally’s eyes. “And remember, you will win the day, too.  Just keep writing. I promise, you will get to the end.  One bite, one scene at a time.”

Truth:  A Novel needs a Triumphant Ending to complete the character’s journey.

Dare:  Build your Triumphant Ending before you start writing to keep you motivated on your journey.

Susie May

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