At the conclusion of your exciting tale, most readers are rooting for a happily ever after ending. They want the bad guy punished, the good guy rewarded, and the lovers to be in love. Sometimes that tidy ending just isn’t where the story should go. Should you change it to conform or end it the way you feel deep in your gut it should end?  Some genres have specific expectations. A Romance should end happily. A Mystery should be solved. Beyond that, the resolution of your story can be a little more creative. Every story has a central question. Will the protagonist succeed in his overall story goal? There are multiple answers. 1) Yes.   Dick succeeds and there is no gray area. The plot is tied up in a neat little bow and there are no unanswered questions. Dick feels good about it. This is an up ending. Readers love up endings. 2) No.   Dick fails and feels bad about it. He fought tirelessly, but in the end couldn’t win. This is a down ending. Readers u...