Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

by Lisa Cron

So that you don’t inadvertently step over it, it helps to keep in mind that while the “aha!” moment always comes late in the novel, it doesn’t necessarily come at the very end, when the plot itself concludes. Sometimes it comes just before the end and is what gives the protagonist the courage to face that final, often excruciating external hurdle. Sometimes it comes at the very moment the protagonist is locked in that last all-out battle, and it’s what gives him the courage, strength, and wisdom to keep going against all odds. And sometimes the “aha!” moment comes right afterward, as the protagonist is making sense of what just happened, surprised that it leaves him feeling very differently from what he’d expected.

3 different types of endings - -Story ends first, fueling protag to the end -Story and plot end at the same time, sorry it's the key to solving the plot -Plot ends first, story ends in character's unexpected reaction to what happened