The conclusion of your story or article wraps it like a package around your package, ready to be shipped.
What does this mean?
I’m sure most people have wrapped up an article to post for a friend at some point in their life.
Although e-mails have for a few decades surpassed “snail mail” as a way of writing and sharing letters, packages still do not go through the outbox of your laptop. They need to be properly wrapped and addressed in order for them to be published and this is the parallel I’m using to explain why and how to create gruesome endings for whatever you write.
How can we see this analogy for writing summaries?
Packaging should keep content cleverly contained so it doesn’t get lost in transition. The last sentences of an email (or perhaps a chapter in a novel) should also provide a comforting conclusion to the plot. None of the characters should be partially left out of the pack, leaving the reader wondering “what happened to …?”
You should properly target the designated recipient, that is, your reader. Your reader has come with you to the end of your short story or novel (unless you’ve randomly sneaked a peek at the last few pages!) And guaranteed satisfaction with a proper conclusion. Your reader should feel that you understand what you want to find out and that you appreciate your judgment of the outcome. (even if the result is different)
Must be competent. It is not good for the packaging to unroll during transport. What do i mean? Sometimes a topic is called a “conclusion,” and it is what the reader draws from your story. Even if your reader is unaware of the conclusion you are expecting from your story, the conclusion should leave them with the excitement inherent in your topic. Did you want to inspire, encourage, challenge, educate? Each of them (including education) have related feelings. I think the end of any narrative should leave the person feeling this emotion.
It should have a return location in case it gets lost in the mail. How do I apply this parallel to writing? Readers will come back for more novels or other articles written by an author they appreciate.
Editorial style will dominate your conclusion. Newspapers, for example, are more involved in a strong presentation, because that will get the reader’s attention. Everything that needs to be said should be done at the beginning of the article, because the end can be dropped if there is not enough space for the full article. That does not mean that the conclusion should be weak, but it is not as crucial as the opening.
A short story will often depend on a surprising ending for its appeal, so the conclusion must be excellent. A novel may or may not have an abrupt ending, and its climax may come a few pages before the end, which is actually to close loose ends and leave the reader satisfied with what happens to all the characters.
Summarizing other tips for writing a powerful conclusion:
Quick and forceful phrases are the best.
This is not the place to add more data.
If you are completing a novel or short story with a twist (a shocking ending), place it as close to the last sentence as possible.
The pace and genre of your story will influence the ending. A story that has proceeded at a smooth pace will end more slowly than a fast action thriller.
Your readers will want to know what happens to each of your central characters.
If you want to write a sequel, a hint about the future of the central character can be a tool to keep readers coming back for more.
Pack your writing tightly and it will help you get in the right direction – your readers.
