Writing Saturday; Help! I’m Stuck at the end of my Book!

You have a great plot, story and characters, and now…. you’re stuck at the end of your book. Oh, you know what will happen at the end of your book, but how do you write that last sentence of the book? What kind of words should you use to say good-by to the story with? Today, we will look at how to end your book.

1. If it is the first or one of the middle books in a series make sure to let your audience know that there is more to come. Example; The two laughed together, knowing that this was only the beginning of their adventure


2. Give a hint as to what is in the main character's future afterward so that, even though the book ends, the story doesn’t. Example; It was hard to believe that they had known each other only a few days; it seemed like a lifetime. She knew that no matter what the future held their friendship was only going to get stronger

3. Never end on a down note. This does not mean that you have to have everyone live happily ever after but if someone dies, show your readers that their death served a purpose and/or it was not in vain. Example; “I never thought much about God until that day, but your brother showed me the way. I just wanted you to know, Miss, that your brother may have died that day, but he gave new life to at least 10 other people.”

4. It isn’t fashionable to have a moral to our books anymore, but sometimes it is a great way to end the story; you just have to be creative in how you do it. Example; She set down the journal, amazed that she had changed so much over such a short time. She hoped that, with God’s help, she would never let anger control her life like that again.

5. Sometimes nostalgia works wonders for a book endings. By nostalgia I mean doing something that takes your readers back to the beginning of the book. Example; at the beginning of the book; They raced across the field as fast they could, knowing their lives depended on it. At the end; They raced across the field as fast as they could, know that this time they could run without fear.

6. Flash forward. Show your reader your character a few days, months, or years later.


7. Write the words that no reader likes to see but is the dream of every author who has ever started a book to write; The End