Endings: subtle v. overt?

[Gurkhal]

I'd be brave and say; end with a bang, unless the whole story has been one of subtlness. The reader deserves to know what the end game is.

 

[Nimue]

Thanks for the advice, all. I will work in some language that provides some additional pointers. I don't want to hit the reader over the head with it, or insult their intelligence. I read a lot of literary fiction and, particularly with regard to short stories, the authors rarely come out and state the point in overt terms. That's the idea I want to go for here, but with enough there for the reader to actually draw conclusions. If I can make it work.

Good luck: it's always a tightrope. Hard to know until you put it in front of a reader. I'd offer to read, but if it's the Mesoamerican sisters story I think I already have?

 

[Steerpike]

Good luck: it's always a tightrope. Hard to know until you put it in front of a reader. I'd offer to read, but if it's the Mesoamerican sisters story I think I already have?

Yes, it's that story, though substantially expanded and with the POV switched to the younger (by minutes) twin, instead of the dominant sister. I think some of the initial problems I had in the story were due to having chosen the wrong POV character. Now that I'm using the other sister, I'm able to focus more on her own internal conflict, and her divided loyalties to herself, her father, and her contemporary city versus the desires of her older twin. Nothing to do but finish the draft and see if it even works

 

[Nimue]

Heh, I'm the older of twin sisters...should totally get my sister to refer to me as the dominant twin xD. Twelve whole minutes, baby.

 

[Holoman]

Personally I hate ambiguous endings. But, if something is obvious I don't like it being spelled out like to a child.