time here is brief
Half of all stories should be left open-ended. Not necessarily incomplete, where a phrase drops off into an abyss. Rather, they should become amorphous and appear to dissolve into the world around you.
The other half of all stories need to give us a satisfactory conclusion. A good conclusion is not an inflatable cushion to fall upon, nor a wall to race into. Rather, it’s a comforting embrace goodbye, forever - you shouldn’t expect another crossing of paths, and that shouldn’t be regrettable.
If the ratio of story types is ever unbalanced, we’d either be left with a stigmatizing uncertainty or a frightening finality.
I think we need some more open-ended stories. They tend to be more relatable and inspiring.
June 22nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I think you’re right: open ended stories are very similar to our own journey through life. We will not reach finality until we meet our own end.