Hey there. Welcome to Nothing but the Words. I’m your author coach, Candice L Davis.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve pretty much gone back to not watching the news. I still listen to NPR when I get a chance. I read news articles online, but watching the news was wearing me out.

We’re still in the middle of a pandemic.

We’re still dealing with political and diplomatic incompetence at the highest levels of our government.

We’re still calling out for justice for so many people who have lost their freedom, their lives, or both.

I don’t see how anyone can continue to take that in, all day, every day, and still have the mental space to write. Non-stop news is bad for your creativity at the best of times. It’s a book killer right now.

If you’re struggling to write, I suggest you take a few days to minimize your consumption of news. 

In today’s episode, I want to talk about endings.

I haven’t actually done a podcast episode on how to start your book yet, but what I’ve noticed is that most new writers have a much harder time with endings than they do with beginnings.

In the self-publishing world, I see a lot of books that say what they have to say and then just drop off. There’s no conclusion, no wrap-up, no sense of closure.

If a reader has committed the hours to read through your whole book, you owe her a decent goodbye.

Besides, the end of your book is the very last impression, so you want to make it a positive one. You don’t want to leave your reader wondering “Is that it?”

So I want to give you some effective ways to end a nonfiction book. 

Let’s start with a memoir.

Throughout your memoir, the main character, that’s you, should have been pursuing a goal of some sort. Your memoir ends when you either achieve the goal or it becomes clear that it just ain’t gonna happen.

In a memoir, you might be pursuing an internal goal, like acceptance or self-confidence or an external goal like a chance to meet your long-lost father, building a successful business, or your moment in the spotlight.

In the best stories, we see both goals, and they’re inextricably tied to each other. A young an wants to meet his long-lost father so he can feel acceptance. A young woman wants to have the confidence to start her business, or a talented actor wants to make it on Broadway so he can prove he’s worthy.

Whatever the goal is, and achieving it, or not, defines the end of the story.

That being said, you still have room to tie up loose ends. Take a few paragraphs or pages to answer any questions lingering in the readers’ minds. Did you ever make up with your mother? Did the dog who ran away ever come home? Did your cruel boss ever get what she deserved?

Don’t leave the reader wondering. Put a bow on the book by answering those kinds of questions. That way the reader will walk away feeling satisfied.

No matter what type of nonfiction book you’re writing, your last chapter should restate the main message of your book in some way. 

In a memoir, you’re not necessarily teaching people how to do something, but you are sharing your insights and life lessons. And there’s an underlying message to it all. Share that message, directly or directly, with your words or with the scene you create in the last chapter of your book. 

In a how-to book, you’re giving instruction on how to do something. Once you’ve shared all the steps, the book is over, but you can still wrap it up nicely. 

Wrap up your how-to book with a summary of what you’ve shared and by reiterating what you your main message of the book.

If you’ve done your pre-writing work, you’ve already honed in on the message you want to leave your readers with. It’s probably something along the lines of “you can do it, and here are the benefits you’ll get when you do.”

Leave your readers with some encouragement. And leave them with a call to action. Invite, challenge, or push them to get done whatever you’ve taught them to do.

If you’re writing a subject-matter expert book, you’ll end the book in much the same way. You could go on endlessly talking about any subject, but once you’ve covered the material in your outline, you’re done.

If you’re writing about a historical event, then you have to choose what the ending of that event is. That might sound obvious, but some events have repercussions that can go on for decades or even centuries. Decide before you start writing where you’ll end your story.

And then end with a summary of the event and what it means to the reader, a particular community, or the world. Leave your readers with a message about why the event matters.

Even if it’s not a historical event, say you’re writing about a topic like the stock market or the state of public education in the United States, whatever it is, you can still end your book with a summary of your big idea and a reminder of why the topic matters at all. You might also want to end with a call to action, but it isn’t always necessary when you’re just telling a story or delivering information.

So here’s what you need to remember.

Decide how you’ll end your book while you’re creating your outline. It will save you from a lot of lost wandering and writing and trying to figure out the end.

A memoir ends when the main character, that’s you, achieves her or his main goal OR it becomes clear that it will never happen.

Close open loops by answering any questions you’ve left in your readers’ minds.

Your how-to book ends when you’re done giving the instructions. But you can wrap it up by summarizing what you’ve shared and restating the main message, usually something along the lines of you can do it! How-to books can also use a call to action at the end, and that can be as simple as inviting your readers to take the first or next step in whatever process you’ve shared.

It’s important to get clear about the ending of your subject-matter expert book when you write your outline because you could go on forever about your topic. Wrap it up with a reminder to your readers about why this subject matters to them or in the grand scheme of things.

I can’t stress how much easier your writing life will be if you figure out your ending before you begin writing. Take the time to craft an ending that will leave your readers satisfied and looking for more from you.

If you’re struggling to end your book, remember the ending of your book isn’t the end for you. You have a lot to say, but you don’t have to say it all in this book. 

That’s all for today, my friends.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, I’d really appreciate a positive review from you on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Reviews make a huge difference in helping new listeners find the podcast.

Thanks for listening to Nothing but the Words. I’m your author coach, Candice L Davis, and I’ll see you next time.