A lot of times, particularly when it comes to the climactic events of our stories, we are eventually offered two choices in what happens next. At its most basic formula, this looks like either the villain is going to win, or the hero is going to win—and usually it’s the hero. You typically want to avoid the most obvious choice in the long run, or at the very least you need to find a way to make the obvious choice more interesting (Of course the hero is going to win. But how are they going to pull it off? Are they going to formulate a last-minute plan? Is the dreaded deus ex machina going to make an appearance? etc).
I can’t fault any writer for ultimately doing what they envision is best for a story’s ending. But I’ve come to notice that when the finale is set up for two very obvious outcomes, the most interesting climaxes find a way to present Door Number Three—i.e.: neither outcome.
I won’t give any examples that I’ve seen right here, because in this case it would mean spoiler alerts. But if you’re ever in the midst of the climactic moment in your story, and you find yourself with only two obvious outcomes for how it’s going to pan out, challenge yourself to find Door #3.