Use Falling Action in Writing
A story that doesn't have falling action is almost always a story that ends too abruptly and disappoints the reader. An author must allow some time after the climactic scene to finish the story, show what happens to all the characters and suggest how "life goes on" after the story's end. The following steps will help you finish up your action so that it is satisfying to the reader.
Instructions
Examples of Falling Action
1. Consider the plot of the movie "Star Wars." The climax occurs when the Luke blows up the Death Star, and everything after that is falling action. Luke and Leia are reunited with Han, R2D2 is damaged but can be repaired, Han and Luke receive medals for their bravery and the rebellion survives to continue the fight.
2. Reread the end of novel "The DaVinci Code." The climax occurs when Sophie discovers that her own existence is the secret behind the DaVinci Code. She is reunited with her grandmother and brother, she and Langdon begin a romance, Langdon returns to Paris and figures out the secret resting place of the Holy Grail.
3. Remember the movie "Jaws." After Chief Brody kills the shark (the climax), he rests amid the wreckage of the Orca, where Hooper finds him. They tie a couple of barrels together and use them to get back to shore. No doubt Hooper goes on to great academic success as a shark expert and Brody returns to the quiet life of Amity Island he had been enjoying before the first shark attack.
4. Think about the ending of the novel, "The Great Gatsby." The climax occurs when Gatsby is killed by Wilson. Afterward, Nick can't find anyone willing to attend Gatsby's funeral. Gatsby's father appears to tell Nick about Gatsby's childhood, Nick breaks up with Jordan and returns to the Midwest.
Writing Falling Action
5. Write the climactic scene. Then ask yourself, "What happens next?" Be creative, but not so wild as to be something out of character for "people" the reader feels he has come to know. Make it logical, yet creative. If you are setting up the story for a sequel, leave a few ends open or pose a new challenge for the main character.
6. Deal out justice. In most stories, the protagonist defeats an enemy, and that enemy, along with his or her allies, should face the consequences of being on the wrong side of the conflict. The hero and his or her allies should be rewarded. (There are exceptions, such as when the enemy escapes justice and the hero resolves to pursue him or her, thus setting up the possibility for a sequel or ongoing book series.)
7. Return to a new normal. The characters should return home, pick up their lives and go on. This doesn't necessarily mean that their lives should be the same as before the events in the story, but it should be whatever would be normal after the climax. For example, if a war was won, the characters may put away their weapons and get regular jobs or they may ship out to a new assignment.
8. Remember the classic ending, "they lived happily ever after." End your story shortly after the climax.
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