"I can never come up with an ending."

For years, I've said that when I write, I have no problem with kicking off the story and I can wrap it up with a fair amount of satisfaction.  It's that "middle" part that gives me fits.  And without the Holy Trinity of Plotting (Beginning, Middle, and Ending), you don't have a tale, merely a vignette.

When crafting a story, I've often found that creating the ending makes plotting easier.  I simply cannot write just to write any more.  I need structure or else I'd be typing nothing but character studies that drone on for pages and pages and pages.  Heck, I'd really be doing little more than typing and not providing a story for the money, right?

For me, the ending might come first and I'd work to find a path to reach it or else the basic premise would come to me and then I'd have to come up with a way to resolve it.  Either way, I'd have a beginning and an end ... now how would I get from point A to point C?  That's where you construct your Middle.

In fiction, it would be too easy to create a path where learning of one person who knows someone else who has the phone number of somebody different.  However, it's often far from exciting.  A fiction plotline would involve various obstacles that prevent the protagonist from reaching the goal.  Mike Hammer learns that someone picked up the evidence he needs to solve the case but the killer found that someone first.  Superman needs a special herb to cure Lois Lane's Crimson Fever, but Clark Kent's been "arrested" for a "Get Out Of Jail" charity event sponsored by The Daily Planet.  Babette found the recipe to Joe's favorite meat lasagna, the one that his mother used to make and would surely win his heart, but learns that her intended also intends to become a vegetarian until he finds his One True Love.  Work around the characters' problems and you'll solve your plotting issues, one step at a time.

But don't make it easy on yourself.  If it's a choice between coincidence or the character using their innate abilities to emerge victorious, always choose the latter.  Sure, one coincidence can spice up a story, but don't rely on more than one per adventure.  If you can summarize your plot and must use the words "he/she just happened to ..." then replot that section.

When outlining your non-fiction, consider that your story may also have an ending.  Figure out your conclusion first and it makes wrapping up the piece a lot easier.  Whether its a report for a school project or an article for your favorite magazine, even a book on a particular subject, how many times have you sat staring at the word processor, wondering how to tie the bow on the piece?  I've personally written an article, several thousand words of deftly-crafted prose (I hope!) on a subject in a day or two, only to spend twice as long trying to find the words to conclude the piece without sounding like a five-year old or having to wish everyone a good night and to drive home safely.

This theory wasn't taught to me.  If only!  I was writing an article on Supergirl for BACK ISSUE Magazine #17 (available at http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=373 or your local comics monger) and course, you have to do your research.  In the Maid of Might's first appearance (Action Comics #252, May 1959), Kara Zor-El came to Earth, barely escaping the destruction of Argo City, a domed city that was launched into space as a result of the explosion of the planet Krypton.  To allow Kara to use her powers while adjusting to Earth life, Superman decides she'd be his "secret weapon."  As writer Mark Waid once said, when Superman got his butt kicked, Supergirl would have to save him.

Eventually, Supergirl was killed in The Crisis on Infinite Earths (a thrilling limited-run series that allowed DC to reboot its continuity) but appeared one more time in a short story in an anthology book as a spirit that would appear to those in dire need.  And it dawned on me ... as Superman still flew high to save all of humankind with his great physical might, Kara Zor-El still existed to help those in spiritual and emotional need ... so she's still a "secret weapon." Once I had that in my mind, it was easy to craft my article to lead towards that ending.  I could write the rest of the article with confidence, knowing my ending was all sewn up.

Now, that's not to say that you couldn't discover a better ending by the time your story ended.  However, it takes a bit of pressure off your writing if you have the ending in sight.  To quote a line from The Monkees' Head, when you see the end in sight, the beginning may arrive.

So when you get to your ending, are you as surprised as your readers may be?  Do you know your ending before you begin typing?  Discuss

(Note: this week, I'll be spending some spare time, such as that is, working on my website.  When it's up and running, I'll gladly invite you to come on over, maybe even take advantage of my various writing services.  But I'll try to deliver something this week.)