Writer's Guide 101 (Wattpad Edition)

XXXVI. When To End A Series?

Have you ever what made the Harry Potter series so interesting?

A young boy who was sent to a wizarding school. New friends and foes. All seven books building up to the biggest villain of the story. This is what drew in a lot of fans across the world. It's been translated to several languages and plays. Also, did I mention Japan also has a Harry Potter theme park?

But I digress!

This chapter is going to dive into the aspect of ending a good story. Do know that I am not forcing my methods on anyone because not every writer is the same. I am also glad if this somehow helped others out there.
The first thing is your readers are able to tell if the story is interesting already and how things should end. Let's say your story is heavy on lore and your brain is already out of ideas after thirty chapters. The characters already got their happy ending. All of the mysteries have been resolved. Everything has peaked on the final ninth volume.
The second aspect is trying to keep things interesting along the way. Try building up to something big, whether it's finding a lost city or mysterious beings ahead. Give the characters development and distinct traits.
If one of your characters is already overpowered and the story is now going around in circles, then your readers could gradually loose interest. They will not care anymore to continue until the end.
However, I understand if you're already a published author under a company and it ain't easy ending a series that's considered a cash cow. Not to mention how one series can overshadow your other works.
I also don't like how authors would retcon (or stray from what's already been established before) their storiesz
If you're thinking that people may not recognize your other works, you can at least write a sequel or prequel with a different set of characters and places. Scatter a few Easter eggs or references from different series so many folks won't just be drawn to one book.

So what did we learn here today, folks?

1) Sometimes, the readers can think of a much solid ending than the author (no offense to writers out there!).

2) Always keep things interesting,
3) You should already have a clue on how to end the story from the very beginning.

4) Don't be afraid to branch out!