on Helping Writers become Authors:

There’s nothing quite like a scene that ends with a bang—or at least a purposeful beat that pulls readers deeper into the story.

A well-crafted scene ending doesn’t just wrap things up, it launches momentum into the next scene, tightens your pacing, and deepens the emotional arc.

Your scene might close in any number of ways, everything from a victory to a setback or a plot twist to a moment of quiet revelation.

Whatever the case, scene endings create the impression that will (hopefully) carry readers into what comes next.

Really, your writer’s toolbox doesn’t contain many tools more powerful than scene endings, yet they can be easily overlooked when it comes to tightening tension or strengthening overall story structure.