Do writers often struggle with finding the beginning and ending of their stories? Can you provide any tips for starting a story and concluding it in a captivating manner?

If you read “The First Five Pages”, you'll find that a story opening scene has a lot of content that needs to be established in a seamless fashion. Doing it straight out reads like a police report: subject name, height, weight, skin, hair and eye color, features of interest like scars or tattoos, etc.

It must:

Establish the story theme, often metaphorically

Establish the protagonist and antagonist especially age, motivation, sex, needs, desires (often the antagonist is complex and hidden)

Establish the conflict (preferably in media res, or the immediate action)

Have the protagonist make a choice (doesn't really work if forced by a superior power)

Establish the setting

Not be cliche

The writer only gets 1000 words to do it, so it must go well and be carefully set up.

The ending is equally difficult.

The conflict must end but…

Will there be a sequel, so the ending really isn't ended

Is everyone happy or …

Is there mixed emotions that apply to many characters involved, some unknown

If the world is involved, are drastic problems still at hand

The theme must be present and the characters all most grow or change, that can be intense and psychological.