Just last Friday, I typed those two sought-after words on the first draft of a new book project: “The End.” Then, I sat back to consider how to celebrate. Of course, now you’re thinking, just get back to work and write draft #2. Yes, that will come, but what about what’s already there? Just because I wrote “the end” on the last page of the new book, does that mean I nailed the ending.? Writing endings for projects, regardless of their length, is a challenge.
You might think that writing the ending right before those two magic words might be the easiest part of your writing project. It is not. It might even be one of the most challenging parts. It should be easy, but it usually isn’t—not if you want to get it right.
Endings shape a story’s legacy. They’re crucial because they leave a lasting impression on readers and can shape how they feel about the entire story. The ending lingers in the reader’s mind because it cements the emotional experience of the story.
The ending of a blog piece might be a single paragraph. The ending of a novel or a book of creative nonfiction is likely to be much longer. Either way, you have to get it right. After almost forty years of writing endings, I’ve learned a few things. In this episode of WRITE. FIX. REPEAT. I’m sharing five tips that might help you.
Patricia J. Parsons 