The Writer’s Vocabulary — Denouement
The Story’s Denouement: The Big Breath after the Hordeal
The Denouement is that part of story that accompanies the reader to the end. The place where we hug the story before we leave it.
The Denouement (the French word for ‘untying’) is the wrap-up of the story. It’s how all the problems get solved and how all the arcs (both character- and plot-wise) find solution.
It comes right after the Climax and constitutes the logical evolution and conclusion of all the characters’ choices.
Just like the story often doesn’t start with the opening, it also often doesn’t end with the closing.
The Denouement resolves all the problems of the story, but sometimes before the story closes, it gives the reader some settling in.
The Denouement resolves all the problems of the story, but sometimes before the story closes, it gives the reader some settling in. Sometimes we see how the characters go on their life in the new balance they have found.
No story is complete without Denouement, but it’s very important not to mix up the Denouement with…
