KEEP THE ENDING WHERE IT BELONGS

In a story, readers don't want to know at the onset which characters’ relationships are doomed or who won’t survive a natural disaster. Their demise may be inevitable if we were further along in the tale, but the reader doesn’t know enough about the characters, in the beginning, to even care.


Leading with the punchline spoils the surprise. Think about it. A comedian wouldn’t share the end of a joke at the beginning of his set. If the audience knows the ending, why bother, right? And, likewise, writers shouldn’t reveal too much too soon either. 

It may be acceptable in our initial draft to get the words on paper, but the ending has no place at the beginning of a book, chapter, or even paragraph. The conclusion is best interwoven throughout the story and revealed like a path of crumbs for the reader to follow. Otherwise, we run the risk of our audience skipping right over our hard-earned words or, worse, not reading it at all.

It is far better to reveal the plot, with tiny surprises sprinkled strategically. Done well, this will surely satisfy our readers’ appetites from start to finish. And keep them intrigued.

I want to become emotionally involved when first introduced to a story’s characters. I want to get to know them and discover their strengths and weaknesses to anticipate their next move. It’s a game for me. Sometimes I try to guess what a protagonist might do in a given situation. And, you know what, I want to be wrong!

And that takes time and good writing to pull off. So, please, don’t spoil the surprise by giving up too much too soon. Let the secrets unfurl slowly, one by one, over time.

Tips & Pointers

Instead of stating the year, give the reader a point of reference, i.e., The year of Beatlemania; The year of the bicentennial; The Vietnam era; When tangerine orange and avocado green were queens (the 1970’s).

And instead of stating the obvious, begin a chapter or paragraph without telling the reader that something good, threatening, or indifferent has occurred. Leave them wondering if your introductory sentence indicates something good or something terrible. Remember, leading with the punchline kills the surprise every time.