The Novel EndingWorksheet

by

Instructions:
Fill in the worksheet below according to the prompts. Spend some time on this, but don’t worry

if it’s not perfect. Remember, you’re trying to write and publish a novel—not an outline.

A few tips before you get started:

1. Ground your scenes in action. Internal debate is a great way to add emotion, but action keeps
your pace moving forward.

2. Don’t settle on the scene you come up with first. Pixar recommends writing a list
of 20 options before deciding on one—this is why their stories feel so fresh.

3. Each “beat” doesn’t represent a single scene. Feel free to add more scenes where appropriate.

The final pages of your novel are about making a choice.

I spent years working as a professional writer without really understanding what the ending
was about. I would write these big, action-filled finale sequences, but I always knew
something wasn't quite coming together.

There was an element missing.

It wasn't until I started working on my first adult novel that I realized what that element was:
choice.
Your book is about your main character struggling with two central ideas: the lie that's been
holding them back, and the truth that will ultimately lead them to the thing they need most,
and maybe even the thing they want.

The finale of your novel is where they must choose. Do they take the easy way out? Do they
cling to the lie? Do they accept an easy win?

Or do they change? Do they make the harder choice, the one that leads to personal growth?
This always results in them getting the thing they need and often results in them getting the
thing they want.

Example: Good Will Hunting is about the choice between success and love. Will is forced
to choose between his safe life in Boston, which includes external success at a job he
isn't sure he wants, and risking it all to follow the girl of his dreams to California. He
chooses to open himself up to love by going to California.

Example: Practical Magic is about the choice between living a normal life and giving in to
the things that make you different, and special. Sally is forced to choose between
pretending to be normal (ie, never using magic) and saving her sister.

Below, brainstorm a choice that your main character will make at the end of the book. This
choice should be based on your theme and the lie that your character has been telling
themself. Often the choice means the character must choose between what they want and
what they need.

The Five-Point Finale

Often, writers have a problem understand exactly which scenes to include in their third acts.
This can result in an abrupt ending that doesn't feel particularly interesting or suspenseful.

Luckily, there's a set of beats you can include to make the third act as fast-paced and exciting
as the rest of your book. This set of beats is called the "five-point finale."
This comes from Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" books--but I've put my own spin on it. Here's
how you do it.

Point One: Gather the Team

This can be an actual team of people that your main character gathers to help them achieve
their goal, or it can be a metaphorical gathering, where the main character gathers everything
they've learned.

Example: At the end of Practical Magic, Sally needs to form a circle to save her sister, so
she calls the PTA group she always thought hated her.

Example: At the end of Good Will Hunting, Will and his therapist, Sean, have a final
appointment. There, Sean forces Will to use all the tools he's given him to confront the
lie that he is at fault for all the terrible things that happened to him. Will's gathering a
team, but not a literal one. Rather he is utilizing all the skills he's been taught throughout
the film.

Who or what constitutes your main character's team:

Point Two: Execute the Plan

Whether your main character has gathered a metaphorical team or a literal one, they need to
come up with a plan to get what the main character wants. The key here is that this plan is still
relying on the lie the main character has been telling themself the entire story. As such, it will
fail.

Example: In Practical Magic, the "plan" is the circle of witches they form to save Sally's
sister.

Example: In Good Will Hunting, the "plan is for Will to get a job, stay in Boston, and live a
safe life.
What's your main character's plan:

Point Three: High tower surprise

While attempting to execute the plan, your main character will realize that their adversary is
much stronger than they originally thought. This is an excellent place to include a surprise or
a twist. Perhaps an ally betrays them, or their adversary has a secret weapon they weren't
expecting. Regardless the original plan must fail.

This is often the main character's lowest point in the entire book. They want to give up.
Maybe they even think they're about to die.

Brainstorm some twists or surprises you can include in your third act here:

Point Four: Dig Deep Down

Your main character has failed, but they aren't defeated. At this point, they must think about
everything they've learned, all the ways in which they've grown, and try again. This is often
the point in the story where they make a choice between clinging to their lie and changing. It
is quite possibly the most important moment in your entire book.
Remember: the most successful scenes are grounded in action. Even if your character is
choosing between two ideas or two ways of thinking, try to brainstorm a way of making it
physical.

Example: Harry Met Sally is a movie about whether friends can ever become lovers.
Harry believes they can't. Then, at the end of the movie, he realizes he's in love with his
best friend. This is a realization that happens in his head, but the writer dramatizes it by
showing Harry make a desperate run across New York to reach Sally before the clock
strikes midnight.

What choice does your character make? How can you show it in action ?

Point Five: Execute the New Plan

Your main character has nothing left to lose. They need to take a risk. Now that they've made
a choice, how have they changed? This should be the moment they're forced to grow.

Example: In Good Will Hunting, Will gets into his new car and leaves for California

Example: In Practical Magic, Sally performs magic in front of her entire neighborhood.

Example: In When Harry Met Sally, Harry admits his love for Sally in front of their friends.

What's your character's new plan:

This is the exact process I used to plot the end of my novel, Delicate Condition. Delicate
Condition comes out August 1, 2023 and is currently available for pre-order wherever books
are sold.

For a limited time, I'm offering a pre-order bonus. Anyone who pre-orders Delicate Condition
before midnight on July 31, 2023 can gain instant access to my course, The Breakthrough
Novel Blueprint. You can find more information about the course and this offer at
daniellevalentinebooks.com/learnabouttheblueprint