Support Your Students to Write the Ending of an Existing Story

Have you ever read a narrative written by one of your students, only to discover that the story ends abruptly and without adequate closure? All too often, students resort to endings such as “It was all a dream” because they don’t know how to properly resolve the conflicts or challenges raised in their stories. 

A story’s ending is its final impression. It’s the moment that ties everything together and leaves readers satisfied. Teaching students how to write the ending of a story is essential because it helps them understand how a well-crafted conclusion can transform a good story into a memorable one.

In this short story writing project, students will write an ending for an existing story. They will read and analyze the short story, The Time Traveler’s Timepiece, then plan an ending to the text. This task allows students to apply their understanding of narrative plot structure while also fostering individual creativity.

This ready-to-use resource contains everything your students need to complete this writing task. It includes:

• Instruction page
• Example short story, The Time Traveler’s Timepiece
• Guided analysis questions 
• Alternate ending ideas 
• Graphic organizers for plot and language planning
• Lined pages for drafting and editing
• Narrative writing checklist
• Assessment rubric

This creative writing project can be used across multiple lessons to support your students’ reading and writing development. 

Support Every Student to Write a Different Ending to the Story

The open-ended nature of this writing project allows it to be flexible enough to support both struggling writers and advanced learners. Here’s how:

• Supporting Students – This project requires students to work from an existing story, which reduces overwhelm. Adapting rather than inventing makes the task achievable.
• Extending Students – The lack of restrictions in this project allows more advanced students to experiment with various narrative techniques and creative choices.

Download This Write the Ending of a Story Activity

Ready to teach your students how to write strong story endings? Use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access the quick-print PDF or editable Google Slides version of this writing project. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it).

For sustainability purposes, please consider printing this workbook double-sided.

More Resources for Teaching Narrative Writing

Whether you’re focusing on settings, characters, mood or plot tension, Teach Starter has the resource to engage your students! Click below to explore more teacher-created gems to support your teaching.

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