By Toni Shiloh, @tonishilohwrite
There is an excitement that comes with typing The End. All the months of research, hard work of putting the write words together, and countless trips to the grocery store to refuel on coffee and chocolate.
But before you can type The End, you have to figure out how to make the last page, the last paragraph, and the last sentence spectacular. There’s so much riding on this because unlike hooking the reader on the first page, you want to leave the reader a sense of satisfaction. You want them to be so happy with the end that they’ll go view your back list and/or follow your social media sites for the next book.
So what does the last page need? How can you ensure the reader walks away satisfied with the totality of your story?
I’ve got three tips for you when crafting your last page.
1. Set the mood.
Whether that be a HEA (happily ever after) for the romance reader, a resolved whodunnit for the mystery/suspense fan, a cliffhanger to move a reader to the next in series for the speculative fan, whatever the case may be, the last page comes with expectations.
If your reader is an ebook reader, trust me, they’ve been watching that % go up and they’re waiting for that final feeling. They’re tracking to see what still needs to be wrapped up. So ask yourself, have you answered all the questions you opened the story with? Have you begun that winddown that comes with writing that last chapter? Have you created a feeling of triumph, happiness, or hope for a better future? Let the tension dwindle and replace it with peace of mind.
2. End with a happily ever after (HEA).
A lot of writers might assume this is just for the romance genre. After all, romance readers require an HEA, which could be a declaration of love, a proposal scene, or an epilogue that features a wedding. But the HEA feeling isn’t limited to the romance genre. After all, if your suspense character has been through the ringer, an HEA could mean he/she caught the culprit and puts them away for good. There’s a bliss that comes with knowing a job has been completed and your character will live to catch more bad guys in the future. Think of the HEA as the satisfying resolution to all of those questions you asked in the beginning and answered in tip one above.
3. Craft a last line of hope.
While the first line should pack a punch, a last line should bring a smile of bliss to your reader. You want them to close the book with a feeling of best book ever. No matter the genre, number in a series, the last line should hold up that the story isn’t finished. No, I don’t mean that there will be another book in the series, but that the characters on the page will continue living their HEA. The reader dreams of what happens after the last page. If it’s a romance book, you’ve painted a picture that they’ll live a life of love. If a mystery/suspense book, they’ll live to fight justice. That last line gives the reader the illusion that the story didn’t end though the ereader said it’s over, but that there will be more to this story that you can ever tell, because it’ll live on in the readers’ heart.
I hope these three tips fuel you to The End in many more books!
Until next time,
Toni Shiloh
Their friendship can survive almost anything…
For two best friends,
marriage could be their greatest test yet…
Trinity Davis must not have heard firefighter Omar Young correctly. Did her handsome widowed best friend just suggest they get married? Omar needs a mom for his adorable little girls, and it’ll fix Trinity’s financial woes. But saying “I do” isn’t just business. Especially when the only vow they’re in danger of breaking is their promise to not fall in love…
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist.
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.