Alternate Ending – Narrative Writing Activity

In this worksheet, you will write an alternate ending to a well-known story by changing the
outcome, introducing a new character or taking the plot in a completely different direction.
Changing even the smallest detail in a narrative can produce an entirely different experience
for the reader. In this worksheet, we will start by exploring the possible changes that could
be made to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (originally published in 1865)
and how these changes affect the climax, falling action and resolution of the story. This story
has been the inspiration for countless creative projects since then, all with their own unique
interpretations and is commonly referred to as ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Remember, the Climax, Falling Action and Resolution all take place towards the end of
the narrative structure. The types of changes we are exploring throughout this worksheet
may take place in the Complication or Rising Action, but we are really focusing on how
those changes can have an impact on the story’s ending.

Introducing or Altering a Character

One method for changing a narrative would be to introduce a brand new character or
make changes to the actions or attitudes of the existing characters. ‘Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland’ is full of unique and colourful characters that are often nonsensical but play a
part in how the events of the novel unfold throughout.

What if the Queen of Hearts wasn’t cruel at all and actually

helped Alice?

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What if the Dormouse played a more integral role in the plot,

becoming the hero of the story? In most versions of this tale,
such as the 1951 animated film ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the
Dormouse character is seen only briefly, drinking tea with the
Mad Hatter and the March Hare. In that version, the sleepy
“Twinkle twinkle,
mouse sings his own version of a popular nursery rhyme before
little bat.
being startled by the word ‘cat’ and becoming panicked. The Mad
How I wonder Hatter and the March Hare jump into action, spreading jam over
what you’re at?
the mouse’s nose in order to calm them down, which is another
Up above the example of something that felt nonsensical to young Alice.
world you fly, This part of the story also occurred in Carroll’s original version,
Like a tea tray in although the mouse entertained the tea party with stories about
the sky.” their mouse siblings instead of the song.

- ‘Alice in
Wonderland’
(1951)

Altering Plot Points

Creating an alternate ending to a narrative is not only about changing the final scene.
Making a small change somewhere within the narrative can have a dramatic effect on the
climax, falling action and resolution of the story.
If your character is given two options and they choose the first over the second, the
remainder of the story is impacted from that point on. You can make changes to a narrative
based on the character’s decisions or change circumstances that are outside of their control.
For example:

What if Alice wasn’t

alone when she fell
down the rabbit hole?
What if her sister fell
down there with her?
How would this alter
the story?

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In the original story, there are a number of magical objects in

Wonderland. Throughout the narrative, Alice discovers that
drinking the potion labelled ‘Drink Me’ will make her shrink in
size, while eating the cookies labelled ‘Eat Me’ will force her to
grow dramatically. This is a major plot device throughout the
story: she shrinks down to a size that allows her through the
keyhole of the door to Wonderland; grows so large that she
almost destroys the White Rabbit’s cottage; and uses her size
to her advantage to confront the Queen of Hearts at the end of
the story. How would the story be different if you changed the
effects of the ‘Drink Me’ potion? What if something different
happened when Alice drank the vial? Perhaps instead it allows
her to fly? Maybe it turns her invisible?

Changing the Ending

In the original story, Alice is in the midst of her chaotic trial in front of the
King and Queen of Hearts when the outraged Queen orders, “off with
her head!” She unexpectedly grows once again to an enormous size and
knocks over many of the Queen’s guards/soldiers - an army of playing
cards. The tumultuous scene comes to a head when all of a sudden
she wakes up in her sister’s lap. Alice is now back at the riverbank
where the story began and it is revealed that she has been dozing
the entire time. The story ends with Alice telling her sister all about
her strange dream as they make their way back inside their home.

Now it’s your turn to finish the story. What details would you
change in the narrative that would affect the way that the
climax, falling action and resolution play out?

Write Your Own Version of Events:

1. Which details within the story would you like to change? Choose a small detail within the
story that you’d like to change that will affect the Climax, Falling Action or Resolution.

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2. List the parts of the story that will be impacted by this change. Include any information
or details that you will need to add to your version of the story.

If you are introducing a new character or altering an existing one:

• What impact did the character have on the original story?
• How will your changes to their actions or personality change the remainder of the story?
• How would Alice and the other existing characters react to the changes you are making?

If you are altering plot points:

• Consider everything that happened in the original story after that point in the narrative.
Would any/all of those things still occur after you have made your change?
• How drastic would the results of your change be? For example, including Alice’s sister
would change the entire narrative from start to finish. Changing something smaller,
like Alice deciding to follow one path over another when the Cheshire Cat is giving her
directions through the forest, simply allows you to include an alternative location in
Wonderland in your version of events. It is possible that some of the final events in the
story might remain the same - Alice would simply follow a different path to get there.

If you are changing the ending:

• What is the motivation behind your change? How will that impact the way you write your
version of events?
• If you would like for there to be a different explanation for the existence of Wonderland
(instead of Alice waking up from a strange dream), what will that explanation be? Will
you need to drop hints along the way as you write your version of events? For example,
if you wish to write about a reality in which Alice has stepped through a portal to another
dimension, how can you guide your reader towards coming to that conclusion?


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3. Write 1-2 sentences to introduce your own resolution to the story. This will allow the reader
to understand where in the original story you are starting from. For example, Alice is being
escorted into the courtroom to stand trial in front of the Queen of Hearts when suddenly...






4. Write your new story ending! Use the space below to write
your alternate version of the Climax, Falling Action and
Resolution for ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The
scene you begin with will depend on which detail you have
decided to change. Ensure this change will be obvious
to your reader when you are making choices on how to
structure your writing.




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5. Reflect on your writing. Which ending do you prefer: the original or the alternate? Explain
your answer with examples from both versions.

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Challenge Activity:
Choose your own story to write an alternate ending for.

The story I have chosen is:



The element of the story I will be adjusting is:



The details of the events I will write about in my alternate ending are:


This is how I would set the scene:



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My alternate ending:


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