101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

Open-Ended Stories

3. AS OPEN AS A VERY OPEN DOOR.

Sometimes, you see those stories that are so open, they put windows and doors to shame. Because even windows and doors will never be as open as this story. It is so open-ended that, at the end, you question everything about it--you realise you don't really know the character's motivations, or what really happened, and almost everything you have just read might all just be a lie.

So, yes, stories have varying levels of open-endedness depending on their story!

But why do authors do it?

There are a few reasons!

1. You want to leave room to write a sequel of some sort.

Whether it be a direct sequel, or a retelling of your own story from a different perspective--often, when authors are planning more than one book in a series, they have to leave some sort of breadcrumb trail for their readers to chase after. That makes their fans even more desperate for the sequel to come out, because now we have unanswered questions!

2. You want the reader to have autonomy.

You want the reader to use their imagination to give themselves the ending that they want!

3. Because it suits the story!

If you have a couple in the story who are notorious for being bad at commitment, then it's kind of cute to end it on the same ambiguous note as a bit of an adorable inside joke that resonates with your character.

There are a plethora of other reasons, too! Sometimes the author just wants to try something different, and other times, they just don't know how to end it so they simply... don't really end it.

But are open-ended stories better than clear-cutting stories?

The simple answer: not necessarily.

There is no better one between open-ended stories and clear-cutting stories! Both can be amazing or downright terrible. Some readers will adore open-ended stories, but others will feel really uncomfortable if they don't get a clear ending.

So, like most things writing related, it all depends!

In this case, I think it really depends. On one hand, an open-ended story may generate more discussion amongst your readers. On the other hand, your readers might feel like the story wasted their time if they feel super unsatisfied.

A lot of it also depends on the genre and target audience! I think open-ended stories work quite well with mystery/thrillers--especially because most readers go into those stories expecting to be completely bamboozled. However, if you leave a picture book on an open-ended note, kids aren't really going to grasp it as much and you are going to get a lot of angry parents who are tired of their kids' relentless questions about whether chocolate cake could even wear a wedding dress.

It also depends on whether it makes sense for the story to end on an open-ended note, depending on what has been foreshadowed or how the characters have developed.

And, of course, if you are trying to set up a sequel--open-ended stories work super well!

There are some brilliant ones out there. I absolutely loved the very end of Marie Lu's Legend Trilogy, where the final book did end on a sort of open-ended note where there was so much ambiguity on where the characters would go. The plot itself had wrapped up, but the characters themselves ended in a way that had no distinct and clear future for them. And it fit the story so incredibly well. It was so painful to read, but it was brilliant, and most readers agreed that while it hurt, it was beautiful.