Notes

Effective short story opening! (The first line of a story or poem.) An opening should grab our attention and pull us into the story. Novel opening (The first line of a story or poem) Writing a successful ending is probably one of the most challenging aspects of fiction writing. A story's ending needs to match what has already been written.
A good ending should fit the story — but not in a way that's too obvious. You want to satisfy your readers by answering the questions you've raised, but you also want to surprise them and make them keep thinking about the story after it's over.
-End a little sooner than the reader expects.
-Surprise the reader with a twist.
-Make it bittersweet.
If you're feeling stuck about a story's ending, it can help to go back to your story's opening. Think about how the story's action has changed the characters' situation since the story began.

exposition
The beginning of a plot in which characters are introduced and setting is established.
conflict
A struggle or problem.
Example: Conflict in a story could be a fight or a hard decision.
conflict
A struggle or problem.
Example: Conflict in a story could be a fight or a hard decision.
climax
The third part of plot; the moment of greatest tension or excitement in the story.
Example: In "Hansel and Gretel," the climax happens when Gretel pushes the witch into the oven.
rising action
The increase of tensions within a story; rising action drives the plot toward the climax.

dénouement
Literally the "unknotting" of the story, in which the writer ties up loose ends and restores order in the characters' world.
Example: With the witch dead, Hansel and Gretel leave the gingerbread house and find their father, who tells them that their evil stepmother is dead. This is the resolution, or dénouement.