How The Last of Us Finale Could Have Been Fixed Joel’s moral dilemma suffers from a contrived setup and rushed pacing. May 12, 2023May 18, 2023 by Paul Chiusano in Analysis
Episode 427: Mid-Story Resolution It's the end of book one, and you're starting book two, what to do? April 16, 2023April 13, 2023 by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Emma Riley
Five Types of Annoying Cliffhangers Instead of ending your story, have you considered throwing it off a cliff? April 15, 2023April 14, 2023 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis, Storytelling
Episode 416: Falling Action The encore of storytelling. January 29, 2023January 26, 2023 by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock, and Adam Wik
The Climaxes of Marvel’s Phase Four, From Worst to Best Will Spider-Man, Black Panther, or someone else take home the prize for best climax? January 28, 2023January 28, 2023 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Five Stories Undermined by Their Epilogue An epilogue should complement the story, not contradict it. October 15, 2022October 21, 2022 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
The Four Ways to Create a Bittersweet Ending Character karma doesn't stop us from creating complex and nuanced stories. May 27, 2022June 2, 2022 by Chris Winkle in Storytelling
Six Types of Downward Turning Points Downward turning points make failure feel satisfying. March 18, 2022March 17, 2022 by Chris Winkle in Storytelling
How to Create an Unhappy Ending In a truly tragic story, the hero fails because they made the wrong choice. March 4, 2022April 21, 2022 by Chris Winkle in Storytelling
Q&A: Are Epilogues Good or Bad? Submitted by Dave L, answered by Oren Ashkenazi August 9, 2021September 15, 2021 in Storytelling
Five Stories With Unsatisfying Endings An unsatisfying ending ruins the lasting impression a story leaves. April 17, 2021June 14, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Episode 307: Constructing a Tragedy In storytelling, happy endings are the default for good reason. December 27, 2020August 26, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
The Climaxes of Marvel’s Phase Three, Part 2 Will these final films improve, or will Marvel's tradition of shoddy endings continue? December 5, 2020June 14, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Episode 300: Crafting Satisfying Resolutions November 8, 2020August 26, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
The Mixed Climaxes of Marvel’s Phase Three, Part 1 Can Marvel's next series of climaxes avoid mediocrity? October 31, 2020January 2, 2023 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Star Trek Series Finales From Worst to Best Long-running series must face the challenge of meeting expectations and providing closure. October 10, 2020June 16, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
The Good and Bad Climaxes From Marvel’s Phase Two Despite its spotty track record, Marvel manages to present a mixed bag. September 26, 2020June 16, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Five Stories With Anticlimactic Endings When the climax is a disappointment, the whole story suffers. August 22, 2020June 28, 2021 by Oren Ashkenazi in Analysis
Q&A: How Can Fantasy Stories End Without a Big Battle? Answered by Chris Winkle April 6, 2020August 26, 2021 in Storytelling
Eight Ways to Hook Readers at the End of Chapters Just one more chapter... just one more chapter... just one more... just one more... March 13, 2020July 6, 2021 by Becca Puglisi in Storytelling
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