So, disclaimer, but I definitely come from the more structured, genre side of things with my writing.
I think a lot of deciding what your ending will be has to do with what kind of story you want to tell. Most stories answer a question – will these two lovebirds get together? Will the characters escape the haunted house alive? Will this soldier live through this war, and if so, how will the war have changed him?
I would recommend nailing down what question your story fundamentally answers, and then figure out how your ending answers it. Of course, that’s a very simplified way of putting it, but I think starting out simple and building things out from there is how you can get the ball rolling on your story. Once you know how it ends, you know what pieces need to be in place for that ending to work … and as you look to see what pieces you need to put in place, you start to see the shape of your story as a whole.
I was incredibly on board with the main premise of the game, and had a great time with the story. I can see how others wouldn’t be too impressed with it, as it’s still somewhat basic compared to other games in the series, but I was completely sold by Zelda’s characterization and story arc. Plus, I didn’t actively hate any of the sages, which is a huge plus.
Rauru was a standout new character for me. Dude’s an absolute beast, especially in the memory you get from the spirit dungeon. Ganon was fine, played very well by Matt Mercer, but I kinda wanted him more involved in the story.
Anyways, the story felt incredibly emotionally satisfying by the end. Which isn’t something I can say for Breath of the Wild’s story (though BotW had its moments).