How do I end my story?

Explain the result of the events or show how the problem was solved. (But don't end with everyone going home for tea or someone waking up to find it was all a dream - that's boring!)

Endings usually bring the story round 'full circle'.

 For example,

Start: Three scruffy pirates sat gloomily around a table in the Lord Nelson pub, staring down in to their empty beer glasses. One by one they emptied out their pockets. It seemed they had all run out of money.

Ending: The pirate gang made their way down the quay to their favourite pub to celebrate their success. They had earned enough money now to buy a year's worth of beer - and have change.

The final sentence is as important as the opening sentence. It usually sums up the story's theme or  message. It had been the best day of my life. I'll never forget her. If only he hadn't been so selfish. She realised taking part is much more important than winning. It just goes to show, crime really doesn't pay. They were richer than they could ever have dreamed. I still laugh when I think about it. For more ideas, look at some of your favourite stories and check out the very last sentence . http://www.storywrite.co.uk/writing-ending.htm SOME REASONS WHY ENDINGS DON’T WORK The story finishes too quickly It’s not a logical ending We don’t know what’s happened to some of the characters The ending isn’t believable The ending is too boring – it doesn’t have action or tension The ending is all telling and no showing – this is where the main character tells us what happens and we don’t actually see it happening to them The ending is too vague so the reader can’t really work out what’s going on. The writer has put in a twist that doesn’t fit with the rest of the story. The twist might be too sudden and unexpected. The ending is too complicated so the reader can’t work out what’s going on or how the story got to this point TIPS FOR STRONG STORY ENDINGS Keep it simple. Make the outcome for the main character clear. If you have plotted and planned your story and know exactly what’s going to happen in the end, then it will be clear for the reader too. Make the ending believable but interesting. It still has to have action. To make your ending unpredictable, add a twist, something that the reader won’t see coming at first, but when they think about it they will realise that there were clues throughout the story. A twist has to fit with the rest of the story and if you give hints in the rest of the story, the reader will find the twist believable but surprising. Don’t make the ending too sudden. Build up to it. Allow it to unfold for the reader. Look at how one of your favourite writers has ended their book/s or story/s. What do you like about the ending? Has the writer used techniques that you could use in your own story? Looking at how other authors work is a great way to learn what you like, and what will work for you. Tie up all the loose ends. Don’t leave the reader wondering what happened to the main character. You don’t have to state exactly what happened, but you have to give the reader enough information to work it out for themselves. Your story is finished when you and other readers feel satisfaction after reading the last word (and not just because you’ve finished writing it). There has to be satisfaction with the outcome for the main character, and a feeling that the story has reached a strong but believable conclusion. In many ways, the ending is just like the beginning of your story. You still want readers to keep reading. You want them to read your next story/book. . http://writingclassesforkids.com/writing-story-endings-is-hard/

Six Elements of a Narrative.

Plot:  the sequence of events that take place in a story.

Setting:  the time and place in which the events of a story take place.

Characterization:  the methods used to present the personality of a character in a narrative.

	Direct--the author describes the character.  Example--She was a large woman with a large purse.
	Indirect--the reader judges what the character is like based on what they say or do, or what other characters say about them.  Example--We believe the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is crazy because he talks nervously and frequently repeats himself.

Atmosphere:  the general mood or feeling established in a piece of literature.  Atmosphere is created through word choice and pacing.

	Word Choice--the author uses words that make the reader feel a certain way.  A spooky atmosphere is created in "The Tell-Tale Heart" through the use of words like "hideous," "marrow," "chilled," and "nervous."
	Pacing--the author controls the speed at which we read through sentence length, punctuation, repetition of words and other techniques.

Point of View:  who is narrating the story (2 main types:  First Person, Third Person) 

	First person:  the narrator uses "I" to tell the action, and is involved in the story.
	Third person:  the story is told from a perspective outside the story.  The characters are referred to by name, or as he, she or they.

Conflict: the central problem that drives the action of a story.  (two main types)  

	Internal:  The conflict happens in a character's mind.  A character with a guilty conscience is an example of internal conflict.
	External:  The conflict happens between characters, or between a character and some outside force, like nature.  Sherlock Holmes pursuing a criminal is an example of external conflict. http://www.mtabe.k12.vt.us/middleschool/aurora/languagearts/6elements.htm

What are contractions in language?

                                         Some Standard Contractions in English

aren't	are not
can't	cannot
couldn't	could not
didn't	did not
doesn't	does not
don't	do not
hadn't	had not
hasn't	has not
haven't	have not
he'd	he had; he would
he'll	he will; he shall
he's	he is;
I'd	I had; I would
I'll	I will; I shall
I'm	I am
I've	I have
isn't	is not
it's	it is; it has
let's	let us
she'd	she had; she would
mustn't	must not
she'll	she will; she shall
she's	she is; she has
need not	needn't
shouldn't	should not
that's	that is; that has
there's	there is; there has
they'd	they had; they would
they'll	they will; they shall
they're	they are
they've	they have
we'd	we had; we would
we're	we are
we've	we have
weren't	were not
what'll	what will; what shall
what're	what are
what's	what is; what has
what've	what have
where's	where is; where has
who'd	who had; who would
who'll	who will; who shall
who're	who are
who's	who is; who has
who've	who have
won't	will not
wouldn't	would not
you'd	you had; you would
you'll	you will; you shall
you're	you are
you've	you have

ANALYZING SETTING IN A STORY

Questions to Ask About Setting Responses from the Story:

1. What is the setting?
 Historical period? Country or locale? Season of the year? Weather? Time of day? What are the sights? Sounds? Tastes? Smells? What other details establish a sense of place?

2. Are the characters in conflict with the setting? What do the characters want? Does the setting keep them
from getting what they want?

3. What does the setting tell us about the characters? What feelings or attitudes do the characters reveal toward the setting? Fear? Pleasure? Challenge? Dislike? Respect? Other feelings or attitudes?


4. How would you describe the atmosphere or mood created by the setting? Is it gloomy? Cheerful?
Mysterious? Threatening? Other descriptions?

http://emilykissner.blogspot.com.br/2011/11/making-inferences-setting.html