We are so excited to have Stephen W. Martin join us today to share information about Surprise Endings!

Stephen W. Martin is a writer on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Trash Truck, along with Frederator’s Bravest Warriors. Stephen is also the author of several picture books, including Charlotte and the Rock, Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion, and I Can’t Draw. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dog. Visit him at Stephen-W-Martin.com.

I LOVE surprise endings. There is something pretty magical about turning the page and being totally shocked at what you find. It’s like a close up magic—you have the reader expecting one thing, and then you surprise them with something else.

For Charlotte and the Rock, that surprise ending wasn’t always there. My very first draft of the story was about a girl trying to get a dinosaur home to its dino parents… but the story wasn’t working—it was too complicated. I wanted something cleaner, with a singular protagonist and a very singular ‘goal/want’. So I tossed the original story out completely and kept just the concept of a rock being a dinosaur egg. This, I believe, is how a good surprise ending starts. You must know the ending first, and then everything you write can work up to that ending. I guess it’s a little like going on a road trip—first you need to know where you are going, and then you can plan how you are going to get there.

I have to say—my all-time favorite surprise ending comes from William Stieg's classic Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It’s another story about a rock—but that’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s a master class in suspense, so check it out.

Cheers,

Stephen