I heard this from a bookseller once: when people come into the shop and ask for a recommendation – a good book – what they’re really asking is, “Does it finish well?”
When something finishes well, it comes to a conclusion. It doesn’t just mean a ‘happy’ ending but rather that the reader walks away with a sense of accomplishment – they learned, they enjoyed, they felt something, they changed.
As a writer, it’s often tempting to try something different, something ‘edgy’ or ‘unusual’ like leaving the audience to decide their own ending. But, it seems, that isn’t want the vast majority want. We want something to finish, and finish well.