Catch and Release: Writing Powerful Conclusions

 

By Candyce Carden

 

When I taught first-year composition, my college freshmen were busy and often lacked time-management skills. By the time they reached the conclusion of their papers, they wanted to be DONE. They’d already poured enough work into the paper to conquer the required word count minimum. So they submitted a paper with a half-baked conclusion that ended abruptly and left the reader unfulfilled.

I sometimes do the same when I’m short on time and a submission for my Word Weavers critique group is due. My fellow weavers do what I want and call me on it.

Conclusions

Our conclusions should leave readers satisfied, inspired, or ignited to act. Effective conclusions provide readers with a sense of closure. Concise and to the point, they include three elements: restating the thesis (or central theme), a call to action, and a clincher.

Restate Thesis  

By restating our thesis in slightly different words, we re-emphasize our overriding theme. We remind readers of our main purpose and why they should care about it.

Call to Action 

A persuasive paper appeals for action. It encourages readers to change a behavior. An immediate call-to-action might urge the audience to vote a certain way or to contact lawmakers.

Personal narratives include reflection or analysis in the conclusion. What is the significance of the theme or event to the author?

Clencher or Takeaway

Your clencher should bring closure, be memorable, and provide a take-away message. Design it to provoke thinking or inspire an action. Sometimes circling back to your introduction is a powerful wrap-up, tying them together with a neat bow. The clencher is an opportunity to employ creative nonfiction.  

Using repetition in closing statements can work well when used sparingly: “For your children’s future, for your future, and for our country’s future, we must take steps to stop sex trafficking.”

Lyrical language often works well in conclusions. Recall memorable speeches. Remember Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.” And let’s not forget John F. Kennedy’s line: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I love Emerson’s inspirational “What lies before us and what lies ahead of us are tiny compared to what lies within us.”

For more on repetition and other rhetorical devices to incorporate into creative nonfiction, see this Rhetorical Device List.

Allow yourself enough time to craft satisfying conclusions. Leave your readers encouraged, inspired, or contemplative.


What literary techniques do you call on to write powerful conclusions?


 Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.


Candyce Carden is a writer, educator, and nature lover whose teaching experience ranges from preschool to college. She’s written for a variety of magazines, devotionals, and compilations. Currently fine-tuning a devotional with a beach setting, Candyce and her husband divide time between north Georgia and Destin, Florida. The answer may not be at the beach, but should we not at least check?

Comments

Popular Posts