58 I WRITER’S DIGEST I October 2019T
he end of one thing is also the beginning of another.
Final scenes are the end of one chapter in a protago-
nist’s life. A few protagonists will die at the end of a narra-
tive, but in general your fi nal scene is the conclusion of
the events of your inciting incident. However, the fi nal
scene need not feel completely conclusive. It may feel
like a new beginning. Th is scene should do the following:- Provide a snapshot of where your protagonist is aft er
the conclusion of your plot - Be refl ective in tone
- Bring matters full circle by recalling the inciting
incident - Move at a slower pace
- (Optional) Include one last surprise, answer, or
insight
In the reader’s mind your characters and settings will
live on, so you want to put as much work into creating a
memorable ending as you put into your beginning.
LEADING UP TO THE FINAL SCENE
Th e three to fi ve scenes that come between the climax
and the last scene must supply answers to outstanding
questions that your plot has raised, thus tying up your
plot, decreasing tension, and bringing resolution to your
narrative. Th e true fi nal scene shows readers where your
protagonist is now, how he has changed, and what he
thinks or feels as a result of the consequences of your
inciting incident.
Showing Character Transformation
Unless you have a good reason for your protagonist not
to have changed (if, for instance, the plot of your novel
involved people trying to change her through brainwash-
ing), your protagonist should not be the same person
she was when she started out. Whether she has a new
outlook, lifestyle, love, or a new sense of self, character
change is the defi ning factor of your fi nal scene.
Concluding the Inciting Incident
Consequences have unraveled as a result of the narra-
tive’s inciting incident, taking your protagonist on a com-
plex journey. Th at journey has to conclude in a way that
ties up the story. Your protagonist will refl ect on, deal
with, or accept the consequences of your inciting inci-
dent in the fi nal scene, even if it leaves room for further
possibilities in another book.
Final scenes are oft en contemplative and may be
shorter than other scenes because there’s no need to intro-
duce elaborate new actions or plot situations. It should
off er a glimpse of where your protagonist fi nds himself at
the end of his journey. Tension and drama should be con-
cluded or winding down. You rarely leave a narrative on a
suspenseful note unless there’s defi nitely a sequel com-
ing. From the launch of your fi nal scene, you want to slow
down the pace and provide room for refl ection.OPENING YOUR FINAL SCENE
Counterpoints and refl ective exposition are two popular
techniques for kicking off your fi nal scene, because both
methods illustrate how much the story’s events have
changed your character.
Counterpoints
Opening the fi nal scene with a counterpoint to the fi rst
scene provides your reader with direct cues that your
character has changed. Th is means that you set up your
fi nal scene to resemble your fi rst, but you alter the details
to refl ect the kind of change your character has undergone.
In Kate Atkinson’s literary mystery Case Histories,
cop-turned-private-investigator Jackson Brodie’s fi nal
scene opens with a lighthearted tone, with the French
words for “goodbye sadness.” He has solved his case,
accepted that his ex-wife will never take him back, and
found himself attracted to Julia, the quirky woman he
met while investigating her sister’s death. Th ere’s a care-
free tone and mood to the scene:
Au revoir tristesse. Jackson drove with the top down, the
Dixie Chicks playing loudly on the car stereo. He picked
them up at Montpellier Airport. They were dressed
ready for the convertible, in chiffon head scarves and
sunglasses, so that Julia looked like a fi fties movie star
and Amelia didn’t. Julia had said on the phone that
Amelia was a lot more cheerful these days, but if she was
then she was keeping it to herself, sitting in the back-
seat of his new BMW M3, harrumphing and grunting atTHE FINAL SCENE
BY JORDAN ROSENFELD