The orgasm isn’t the ending. Here’s what to do with the page after it.

The best way to end an erotic story is a beat or two after the sex, on a line that shows what’s changed between the men. Most stories that fall flat stop at the orgasm. The reader needs a moment to land, then one last image to carry away. Here are 9 endings I’ve used, counting down to one I’ve used more than once.

Why shouldn’t an erotic story end at the orgasm?

The orgasm is the peak, so the story needs somewhere to come down to. A page or two after it, the reader sees what it meant. That’s what makes them remember it. My guide to 10 ways to write the moments after sex covers that stretch in detail.

Endings that promise more

9. Next time

The simplest ending is a plan. Cum on the security screen ends on a text: “Same time next week?” In Does bottoming really hurt for gay men?, Alex says it out loud: “Next time will be even better.”

8. The last line of dialogue

Let one man have the last word. The sign still stuck ends with Mateo whispering, “Plenty of time to get us thrown out.” It’s a joke with a promise in it.

7. The week ahead

Show how the rest of their life now looks. Watching football and cuddling in bed is not gay runs through the coming week day by day, starting with “Monday we’ll sit three desks apart and talk about a client.” By Sunday the reader knows exactly where it’s going.

Endings that land on an image

6. The look

End on a face. The gym changing room story closes on the look Theo gives the narrator, “the whole point of staying late.” No more needs saying.

5. Walking on

Let him leave with the story still in his body. Into the canyon ends with Alex heading down the trail, “already wondering whether Tyler would be on that rock next week.” Streetlight Stranger ends as the narrator stays a minute “before I finally start walking again.”

4. The callback

Echo the opening. The upside of sleeping naked starts with the sheet and ends with it too, wet this time. The last sentence turns the title around: “the downside of sleeping naked was also the reason he wasn’t in the other room.” Readers love a closed circle.

3. The unfinished moment

Stop just before something else happens. Caught in the Hostel Dorm ends with a third man in the aisle staring at the other two, “and he didn’t look away.” The reader writes the next scene in their head.

Endings that say it plainly

2. A very short line

After a long scene, three or four words can finish it. Car park after gym hookup ends: “Getting dressed can wait.”

1. What he knows now

An ending I’ve used more than once is a quiet admission from the narrator. In Late Night Steam, it’s “I already knew I’d be back tomorrow.” In my new roommate’s naked habit, it’s “I already knew I would not be closing mine either.” Rough Day does it too. The narrator has changed, and he owns it.

How do you pick the right ending?

Look at your first line. The best ending usually answers it. A story that opens on a rule can end on breaking it again. A story that opens on a routine can end on the new one. My list of 11 ways to open an erotic story pairs well with this one.

Common mistakes

The biggest is ending on the orgasm with no landing. Another is the clean-up ending, where someone wipes himself down for a paragraph and nothing else happens.

FAQ

Should an erotic story have a happy ending?

It doesn’t need an HEA, the romance term for happily ever after. Most erotica just needs a satisfying one. My gay erotica glossary explains the terms, and my guide to gay erotica vs M/M romance covers the difference.

How long should the ending be?

Usually a few short paragraphs after the climax. Long enough to land, short enough to leave them wanting more.

Can I end on a cliffhanger?

Yes, if there’s a next part coming. If there isn’t, readers can feel cheated.

Should I sign off with a note to readers?

Keep it separate from the story, after a break. The last line of the story should still be the story.