Each ending must be the strongest point of your story. Don't make your ending too easy, vague or too conclusive.

Remember, your protagonist should be changed by the plot's happenings, or have been faced with the opportunity to change. Choice or struggle are important elements of the story.

Don't end with the death of the character. The struggle is life, not death.

It's not what an ending means that's important, but how it means. The best endings never close, they open. Keep the reader thinking and imagining about your character long after the words end.

An unexpected twist in the plot or character's behavior makes for a good ending. But don't use it for shock value.

Surprise endings work best when they evoke irony, anguish, pity or wonder at human capacity.

Don't leave your reader hanging; their natural impulse is to applaud when the story has a satisfying ending

The perfect ending should flow naturally from the events that have preceded it.