I recently finished BBC’s Merlin series. It’s a wonderful TV show with a passionate fan base, but here’s the thing: It has a godawful ending.

As a storyteller, I think this series offers a valuable lesson that any writer — especially one who wants to craft emotionally-stirring, character-driven tales — should pay close attention to.

Here’s my personal diagnosis for why the ending of Merlin failed, and how writers can avoid The Merlin Problem in their own stories.

Read more