How can I write short stories with surprising endings?

Question

how can i approach this successfully..? How do i arrange everything?

Answer 1

I think you're talking along the lines of a twist ending. These types are hard to pull off and for endings to work, there definitely needs to be foreshadowing. Too much and people will figure it out, too little and they will feel cheated. Main thing to keep in mind, a twist ending needs to make sense within the context of the story, a character cannot act one way through the whole piece and at the end "flip" so to speak. A good example of a twist ending that was executed beautifully was in the film "The Others" everything leading up to the ending worked to enhance that ending in a logical and fulfilling ending.

It will take some work, but eventually you will feel your way around a story and discover those hidden alleyways and corners.

Thomas

Answer 2

Hey Hannan,

A wise teacher once told me to begin with the end in mind. So, write your ending, the twist, the surprise. This is your end that will be the surprise, don't give too many clues as to how the story ends. Then go back to the beginning, and thread your characters through the maze of what has to happen to get to the end.

Answer 3

Try to imply a more cliched ending, have everything point toward what you want the reader to think will happen, and then do the opposite. Read "Richard Cory". It's a really good poem with a surprising, if sad, ending.

Answer 4

Think of your surprise ending first. Then you work up to it. I read the other day this saying, but for the life of me I can't remember who said it - but I wrote it down anyway - so here goes: "The enlightened person does not linger in the light of their own making". Has nothing to do with anything (I know) - but for some reason I thought it might help!

Answer 5

Work backwards, devise a surprise (something no one could expect) and then work towards that, giving hints, and maybe provide a cliche that will make readers believe they have a handle on the narrative