The Last Line

A Major Creative Project in Structure, Character, and Imagination

The Assignment

Edgar Allan Poe famously began many of his stories with the final line in mind—he believed every choice a writer makes should build toward that final moment.

Your challenge is to do the same:

Pick a final line from the list provided and write a story that leads up to it.

This will be your first major creative project, and you’ll be expected to treat it with the depth, detail, and care of a published author.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Choose Your Final Line

Use the list provided. This will be the last line of your story—not just a twist, but a destination your plot and characters are slowly steering toward.

🔮 Bonus Challenge: Choose a line at random (roll a die, close your eyes and point, etc.)

2. Plan Your Story Thoughtfully

You will be required to submit both planning documents and a polished final draft:

✅ Protagonist Character Sheet

Include name, background, personality traits, desires, flaws, and how they might change.

✅ Story Structure Sheet

Choose one of the following frameworks and use it to plan your story arc:

• Freytag’s Pyramid

• 3-Act Structure

• The Hero’s Journey

3. Write and Revise Your Story

Your story must:

• Be a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and end

• Contain a fully developed protagonist with internal and/or external conflict

• End with the exact final line you selected from the list

• Reflect intentional structure and rising tension toward that ending

• Show attention to language, detail, pacing, and voice

Submission Requirements

✅ Final Line - Selected from teacher-provided list

✅ Character Sheet - Fully completed for your main character

✅ Story Structure - One full outline using Freytag, 3-Act, or Hero’s Journey

✅ Final Draft - 1,000–2,500 words, polished, engaging, structured

✅ Formatting - Typed, double-spaced, titled, name included

✨ Extra Credit Option: Submit a dramatic reading, storyboard, or visual moodboard for your final scene.

Last Line Options

1. "With a flick of her wrist, the rain began to fall upwards."

2. "The cat spoke, revealing the secrets of the universe before vanishing."

3. "His shadow detached and walked away, leaving him in utter darkness."

4. "The ancient tree whispered forgotten lullabies to the children."

5. "They opened the door to find themselves in a library that extended into infinity."

6. "As she blinked, her eyes became portals to distant galaxies."

7. "The clock struck thirteen, and time began to unravel."

8. "He found a doorway in his own mind, leading to a world of forgotten memories."

9. "The moon turned blood-red, and the oceans started to boil."

10. "They stepped onto the abandoned carousel, and it carried them into the sky."

11. "The laughter of children echoed from the bottom of the well."

12. "She touched the mirror, and her reflection grabbed her hand."

13. "The rainbow stretched across the sky, connecting to another dimension."

14. "The ink from the diary began to crawl up the walls, forming words."

15. "The footsteps in the snow led to an empty, endless forest."

16. "His dreams materialized into floating islands in the night sky."

17. "The abandoned amusement park roared to life, beckoning them inside."

18. "The paintings on the gallery walls bled, revealing their hidden stories."

19. "He stepped out of the cave to find himself in a different century."

20. "The town vanished overnight, leaving behind a swirling vortex."

21. "She discovered a door in her closet, leading to an alternate world."

22. "The old man in the park turned out to be a time-traveling astronaut."

23. "A mysterious seed sprouted, growing into a staircase to the stars."

24. "The shadows on the wall whispered secrets only the dead should know."

25. "The abandoned mansion revealed its inhabitants—ghostly musicians playing symphonies."

26. "A rain of origami birds descended, carrying cryptic messages."

27. "The mirror showed reflections of past and future selves, intertwining."

28. "He unlocked the puzzle box, unleashing a miniature universe within."

29. "The puppet show ended, but the marionettes kept dancing on their own."

30. "The library's books rewrote themselves to rewrite the world."

31. "The whispers of the wind carried secrets from a parallel realm."

32. "The forgotten diary revealed the recipe for immortality."

33. "The snowflakes turned into tiny galaxies, each with its own story."

34. "A pocket watch ticked backward, undoing every decision he ever made."

35. "In the abandoned subway tunnel, a subway train from the future arrived."

36. "The garden of sentient plants sang a hauntingly beautiful requiem."

37. "The carnival rides came to life, offering a one-way ticket to the bizarre."

38. "Her reflection stepped out of the mirror and refused to go back."

39. "The abandoned lighthouse became a beacon for interstellar travelers."

40. "A mirror portal opened to a dimension where colors had their own language."

41. "He discovered a hidden cave, home to a civilization that never existed."

42. "The clock tower chimed thirteen times, signaling the end of time itself."

43. "The ancient spellbook rewrote the laws of physics with a single word."

44. "A rainbow bridge emerged, leading to a land of sentient clouds."

45. "The fog lifted to reveal an ancient city hidden in plain sight."

46. "The constellation in the night sky rearranged itself into a warning."

47. "The desert sands whispered the lost stories of nomadic civilizations."

48. "The broken music box played a tune that rewound memories."

49. "The puppeteer's strings rebelled, and the puppets took control."

50. "A stone skipped across a pond, creating ripples that altered reality."