I wanted to ask everyone's opinion on whether ALL loose ends should be tied up at the end of a novel. Is it cheating if some things are left to the readers imagination? Alternatively, if the last chapter is just a collection of tying up loose ends, can it seem forced and artificial?

The reason I ask, is that I wonder if I can leave some questions unasked, or not? Some of which I could reveal in the second book in the series - again, is this cheating?

Thanks!
Shads

I'm not accustomed to the level of complexity required to create a large number of loose ends, but I think some readers could become frustrated if forced to ask "but what about..." or "what happens to..." too often.

It all depends on how it's done. If you leave something in a state where most readers can assume a given tie-up, regardless of whether or not that assumption fits with any potential sequel, then that should be fine.

So yeah, leave loose ends, just don't leave them "too loose", if you follow me...

As long as threads don't appear to be forgotten about at the conclusion of the novel, then yes, I feel it's okay to leave a few details to the imagination.

It certainly can feel forced if the final chapter is bringing every single event to a definite conclusion. I've read many novels that have multiple events going on throughout, and they all came to an end at different times over the later chapters, so it didn't seem so forced. Any way you can bring some things to a close earlier?

I guess the difficulty is in ending it without frustrating the reader, and not taking it too far so as to patronise them either...

Good luck!

Personally I like a little ambiguity at the end of a novel - as long as the author doesn't leave me completely up in the air - (I mean that maybe one or two alternatives are implied), and as long as the beginning of the thread was introduced for a reason - ie to show character etc.
The exception to this is crime, all the loose ends should probably be tied up here, otherwise (I think) it's really frustrating, not to mention cheating!

Thanks for your interesting thoughts all.

You say it well Insane - loose but not too loose - brilliant!!

BJ - thanks, yes great idea to bring some things to a conclusion at different points in the book, and I know as a reader I so hate to be patronised.

Nell - I agree with you, I like ambiguity also. I don't like too much description so that nothing is left up to my imagination, I like to think and imagine as well as read. But thanks for the laugh. Yes, great detective fiction "and the murderer is......" Oh let the readers decide!!! LOL

Thanks all
Carole
(Shads)

My one experience of this is that if you don't tie up the ends, even of lesser characters, this is the first thing people ask you about your novel. What happened to so and so? Is there going to be a sequel? It is no good saying so-and-so is not important or, it is just like life there isn't necessarily an answer. This just annoys people. If you make your reader like a character enough to be interested in their fate, then you had better have some kind of conclusion for that character. I was forced in the end the to expand a whole section of my novel to deal with this. Of course, it may be different with another style of story, I've only done the one so experience limited. Cheers, Hilary

It's not always necessary to tie up loose ends. Sometimes ti can be good for and can create a more realistic setting, but it takes skill.

One author particularly adept it this is Haruki Murakami, check out The Wind Up Bird Chronicle for inspiration.

Geoff