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Most authors end their stories when the main conflict is resolved and the characters have reached a natural point of change or closure, though some prefer leaving things open-ended to let readers draw their own conclusions. It really depends on what the story needs and what kind of impact the author wants to leave.

I'd push back on the idea that there's some universal signal telling you when to stop. I've read plenty of books where the conflict wraps up but the ending still feels limp, and others that end abruptly yet hit harder because of it. The honest answer is probably that most authors end their stories when they run out of things they actually care about exploring - whether that's character development, a mystery, or even just the emotional arc they set out to create. Everything else about "natural closure" or "resolved conflict" is just trying to name what that feeling is after the fact.

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