Inconclusiveness as narrative strategy

And why you shouldn’t listen to all feedback

Many years ago I received a rejection from a literary journal. Needless to say I have received innumerable rejections over twenty years or so of sending work out for consideration but I recall this one well, because it marked a turning point for me. I quote from the rejection email, not the exact words but close enough to them as my memory allows:

“we enjoyed reading your submission, and although a lot of sections were strong and well-written we were let down by the ending, which we thought was inconclusive, as if this story were a fragment of a bigger piece”¹.