I am writing a short story about a young woman (Amy), who is convinced her elderly female neighbour is a serial killer. I need some advice as to where to go with the ending, Amy waits until the neighbour leaves to run an errand before sneaking into her house to gather evidence, but is caught when the woman returns. Amy is knocked out from behind; I am not sure where to go from here, any ideas will be much appreciated.
Well, ultimately, the options come down to: Amy wins. Amy loses. Everything was a great big misunderstanding and everything is resolved. Everything was a great big misunderstanding and something else was going on. It was all a dream/going on in Amy's head. What outcome do you want to happen? Good, bad, indifferent?
Ever seen The 'burbs with Tom Hanks? It's a 80's comedy but the premise is similar. Not sure you can learn much from it, but there's a twist at the end that might help. Not a good movie, though.
Hello, Aliceononelmstree - not sure if you have already decided on your ending, but here are some thoughts that came to mind: - If Amy gets captured, can she psychologically convince/deceive the elderly woman in a way that allows her an opportunity to escape? - Does the elderly woman have family? Perhaps a grandson comes to visit and realizes who his grandmother is, participating in Amy's escape? Does a love relationship between Amy and the grandson materialize? - Are there others that Amy finds out (after being captured herself) that are equally held captive, and together, do they help with the escape? - Does the elderly give Amy an "out" challenge - if she succeeds, is she set free? Best of luck to you!
Hey, was thinking Amy would be bound in the attic. Then the old woman comes back when she hears her shouting. Any jdes for what would happen next? I have some, but just want to brainstorm.
What a great set up for a lot of possibilities! - Does Amy shout because Amy has successfully untied herself and she is trying to get the woman to come to her for an opportunity to attack? Is the shouting a distraction for someone else in the house to help thwart the old woman's efforts? - When the old woman comes back, does Amy tell "her" that she knows/has discovered "her" secret(s)? I put the word her in quotations because I'm curious if, in fact, the old woman really is an old woman...or someone in disguise this whole time? Does the "old woman" reveal who "she" really is? - Does Amy figure out why the old woman has captured her, and does Amy then appeal to the old woman to help her achieve her goal(s) in another way? I'm excited for you - have fun!
@Aliceononelmstreet - you really need to come up with the ideas on your own. The story is yours, not ours. Don't write the story by committee. We can help you refine ideas and fill in some of the details, but we can't come up with a plot for you. What do YOU want to happen next? Every single one of us would write the next part in a different way, because we would all have different end goals in mind. If I was writing a children's story, I would be writing it differently to a psychological thriller. And even with the same goal, I would come up with different ideas to you because I write differently to you. If you want to become a writer, it's incumbent upon you to learn how to plot. Remember - each encounter or plot point should achieve a goal. Maybe it's a catalyst for the encounter after this, or move towards the conclusion of the story, or simply to entertain the reader. What's YOUR goal for the next scene?
Why don't you fucking stop wafting around this forum pissing on my parade. I didn't ask for your opinion, fuck off.
what a delightful response, I’m amazed that anyone should not want to help such a pleasant and well mannered person.
