by
Oren Ashkenazi
While satisfaction should be present throughout a story, the most potent dose of satisfaction is delivered by the ending. Or at least, it should be. When an ending fails to live up to expectations, it reduces satisfaction as well as the chances that audiences will read … read more »Podcast
by
Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle and Wes Matlock
In storytelling, happy endings are the default for good reason. But there is another option. Sometimes the story doesn’t end well; nothing goes the hero’s way, and they either die or lose what is most precious to them. That’s right, this episode is about tragedies: … read more »Analysis
by
Oren Ashkenazi
This is it, friends. We’ve made it to the end. We started our journey oh so many years (months) ago with the MCU’s phase one climaxes, and now here we are with the second part of phase three. Will these final films stick the landing, … read more »Podcast
by
Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle and Wes Matlock
First there’s a problem, then there’s a turning point, and then… darn it, what comes after the turning point? If everything’s working properly, that’s when it’s time for the resolution, but this is trickier than some writers think. You have to show things resolving, not … read more »Analysis
by
Oren Ashkenazi
The last time we looked at MCU climaxes, phase two had made significant improvements over phase one. The results still weren’t great, but at least there were some bright spots. Now it’s time to look at phase three, or at least the first half of … read more »Analysis
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Endings are hard, especially endings for a long-running series. A lot of expectations get built up along the way, and how well you meet those expectations will determine whether audiences remember your story fondly or are just glad it’s over. Classic Star Trek varies wildly … read more »Analysis
by
Oren Ashkenazi
I won’t sugarcoat it: going through the MCU’s phase-one climaxes was a real slog. The action and quips might be top notch, but the climaxes are limited to nonsense deductions and meaningless sacrifices. Fortunately, there are way more of these movies to look at. Specifically, … read more »Analysis
by
Oren Ashkenazi
The meaning of “anticlimactic” is refreshingly simple: the climax is a disappointment. We might call a story anticlimactic if the main villain is defeated too easily, if a major story arc just disappears without explanation, or if the throughline isn’t properly resolved. The story’s climax … read more »Q&A
by
Chris Winkle
I’m pre-writing a long fantasy series and the final “act” always seems to be a build up to one great big battle scene. Are there any other options for sci-fi/fantasy writers’ third act instead of a great big world-ending battle? That would be a great … read more »Storytelling
by
Becca Puglisi
One of the things we all crave as authors is to write the kind of story that readers can’t put down. Just one more chapter, they say, and then they end up staying up way too late, reading past their lunch hour and into the … read more »
While satisfaction should be present throughout a story, the most potent dose of satisfaction is delivered by the ending. Or at least, it should be. When an ending fails to live up to expectations, it reduces satisfaction as well as the chances that audiences will read … read more » 
In storytelling, happy endings are the default for good reason. But there is another option. Sometimes the story doesn’t end well; nothing goes the hero’s way, and they either die or lose what is most precious to them. That’s right, this episode is about tragedies: … read more » 
This is it, friends. We’ve made it to the end. We started our journey oh so many years (months) ago with the MCU’s phase one climaxes, and now here we are with the second part of phase three. Will these final films stick the landing, … read more » 
The last time we looked at MCU climaxes, phase two had made significant improvements over phase one. The results still weren’t great, but at least there were some bright spots. Now it’s time to look at phase three, or at least the first half of … read more » 
Endings are hard, especially endings for a long-running series. A lot of expectations get built up along the way, and how well you meet those expectations will determine whether audiences remember your story fondly or are just glad it’s over. Classic Star Trek varies wildly … read more » 
I won’t sugarcoat it: going through the MCU’s phase-one climaxes was a real slog. The action and quips might be top notch, but the climaxes are limited to nonsense deductions and meaningless sacrifices. Fortunately, there are way more of these movies to look at. Specifically, … read more » 
The meaning of “anticlimactic” is refreshingly simple: the climax is a disappointment. We might call a story anticlimactic if the main villain is defeated too easily, if a major story arc just disappears without explanation, or if the throughline isn’t properly resolved. The story’s climax … read more » 
I’m pre-writing a long fantasy series and the final “act” always seems to be a build up to one great big battle scene. Are there any other options for sci-fi/fantasy writers’ third act instead of a great big world-ending battle? That would be a great … read more » 
One of the things we all crave as authors is to write the kind of story that readers can’t put down. Just one more chapter, they say, and then they end up staying up way too late, reading past their lunch hour and into the … read more » 
