Fiction and nonfiction writers often fret about their beginnings and their endings. Most writers know what they want to present in their articles. They have a storyline in mind. But some are weak when it comes to creating their openings and others may struggle to end their stories or articles appropriately.
I like the full-circle approach.
First, you MUST ease or jump into your piece using some sort of hook that will attract the attention of your audience—something that will make him/her keep reading. It might be a shocking statement or statistic, a fascinating concept or an intriguing scenario. We’ve all read great beginnings. We know what they consist of. Writing one can be challenging. But your amazing story or tantalizing article is certainly worth the effort.
One author I know, starts her memoir with the raunchiest escapade she remembers occurring when she was a child. It’s a rather unbelievable episode. But you know it could be true and you want to know more about the people who would behave in this manner. It’s a great hook.
Some article-writers open with a worst case scenario to make a point and to keep people reading. This works for many article topics, including childcare, eldercare, relationship issues, animal rescue, pet care and so many others.
But how do you end stories and articles like these? As I said, I like the full-circle approach. What does this mean? I like to end with something that relates to the beginning—something that serves to tie the piece up nicely with a pretty bow. It’s neat, crisp and usually effective.
In the case of the memoir, the author may introduce the fact that she never had a birthday—she was the only girl she knew without a birthday. She might relate that her birthday was never celebrated as a child—there were no presents, no cake, no acknowledgement at all. She could tell how this made her feel—to see other children celebrate their special days—maybe even her brothers and sisters. She might end this memoir by describing the birthday parties she throws for herself now that she is an adult and how valued she feels when surrounded by her friends, husband and children.
If the animal rescue article begins with a story about a cat living on the streets, end it by sharing the story of that cat now living more successfully in a cat colony or having been rescued and domesticated.
If there’s anything that readers like better than happy endings, it’s any ending. We want to know what happened. There was a time when it was the fad to leave a story or a movie unfinished. Writers thought that readers and viewers enjoyed imagining their own endings. But I believe that era is over. We like to know what happened, what happened next and what the end result was. One way to provide this is to bring your story full circle.
Read more about writing a good story, self-editing, your publishing options, your responsibility as a published author and lots more in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
Be sure to sign up for one of my 6 online courses this month at a discount. See my May 24 blog entry for details.