Each of your characters is on a journey, and all journeys come to an end. At an early stage in your novel writing process, it is a good idea to write down where your characters end up, as endings have an influence of the course of the action. For example, whether your character graduates or flunks at the end of your novel will determine how they score on tests and papers throughout your novel. Or, whether your character wins or loses the epic battle at the end of your novel will have an influence on training sequences or smaller battles earlier in your novel.

Write a fate for each of your main characters. Ensure that you outline the resolutions, if any, to the main sub-plots that they are involved as well as the resolution of their relationships with their fellow characters. Writing with the ending firmly in mind will help you to include signposts and even surprising paths, as you take readers on the journey of your story.