Writer: Reviewer:

Conclusion Ideas

It isn’t easy writing a conclusion. Wrapping up a story can often be harder than starting one. Whatever you do, just don’t fall into the trap of trying to tie up the story into a neat package. This means you should go to great lengths to avoid telling readers what to think and feel. Instead, offer readers an ending in which they must carefully close reading your prose to puzzle out what you’d like them to take away from your story. Think carefully about how to effectively close your story. Select the type of conclusion that works best for your narrative. Remember, you want to provide a sense of closure for your readers, and that closure should not repeat thoughts and feelings that you presented earlier within the narrative.

Project Time Forward & Reflect: If the experience that you are writing about took place years ago, then consider writing the conclusion from the perspective of someone who understands more than you did. *If you take this perspective of one who understands, then be careful that you don’t tell readers what the moral, lesson, or goal of the story is. Instead use sensory details to imply the meaning rather than explain the meaning directly.

Close with Dialogue: It’s a strong device to help you end with a reflection. You just want to make sure that you don’t use dialogue as the direct means to TELL your message or moral. Instead, consider how you might use dialogue to SHOW your message or moral to readers.

Resonate, don’t Dictate: This conclusion option wants you to avoid telling readers how to feel. Instead, construct an image that helps you convey your feelings to readers. Showing an image will help you prevent yourself from telling your feelings to readers.

End with an ACTION: Just show yourself doing something in action to help you avoid telling your thoughts and feelings. Consider how you might depict an action that helps you reflect a decision that you made or an emotion that you felt deeply.

Evoke a vivid Image: Closing the narrative with a visual experience will convey your feelings rather than tell your feelings. The visual experience will trigger a lasting emotional experience that they will resonate and stay with them.

Think, Pair, Share Activity for Conclusion

1. Take 10 minutes and brainstorm your conclusion idea below.

2. Now, working with a partner, summarize your personal narrative for your partner, so they understand the audience and purpose of your story.

3. Pitch them your ideas regarding how you might conclude your personal narrative. Be sure to write below your preliminary ideas for the type of conclusion that you’ll close the essay with.

4. Get some feedback your partner (i.e., the reviewer). Ask the reviewer the questions below, and be sure to type up the feedback that they give you.

a. Does this type of conclusion make sense given the subject matter of the story? Or is this conclusion confusing and seem out of place? Type up the reviewer’s feedback below.

b. Writers must avoid tying up things too neatly because it disengages readers and it’s comes across as patronizing; in sum, avoid the temptation to explain EVERYTHING. Even with conclusions, writers want to make sure that they SHOW, not just tell. If so, then help the writer think about how they can avoid tying up things neatly. Offer some advice regarding what the writer can do so that readers can to come to their own conclusions. Type up the reviewer’s feedback below.

c. Drafting conclusions is like walking a tightrope. You don’t to tie things up neatly, but you don’t want leave the story without a sense of closure. Readers should be left with a sense of closure to avoid an incomplete structure. Does the writer offer conclusion ideas that are creative without explaining everything? What do you think makes the conclusion strong without lapsing into a tell moment? Type up the reviewer’s feedback below.