More on: The Closing Line: Excerpt from my book, A Friendly Guide to Writing and Ghostwriting

The final line of your book is every bit as important as the first. While the opening line invites the reader in, the closing line is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression, to give readers something to hold onto and remember. If you offer them a hopeful closing line, they are left with a feeling of satisfaction. If they were turned off by your ending, you leave them feeling cheated. Unfortunately, people tend to recall an awkward ending better than a smooth one, so the quality of your last line can determine whether a reader will refer your book to friends or tell them not to bother.

In 1958, Viktor Frankl wrote Man’s Search for Meaning, about surviving the death camps during the World War 11 Holocaust. He entitled his last chapter The Case for a Tragic Optimism and this is his closing line:

So, let us be alert – alert in a twofold sense: Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima, we know what is at stake.

I caution you here to watch out for overzealous publishing editors who can ruin your last line. When I got my first publishing deal, I liked the weight of the book in my hands and seeing my name on the cover. But when I scanned the text, I was appalled that my editor had made a unilateral decision to drop the last two sentences at the end of one of my final chapters without consulting me. I was furious. He had messed with the rhythm of my paragraph and made it sound stilted and unfinished. I got him on the phone and complained but there was nothing I could do because it had already gone to press.

That was enough to make me contemplate self-publishing in the future which I ended up doing with my memoir. I wanted to own the rights to my life story so no one could pull a fast one on me. I avoided being edited by someone who knew less than I did and I was free to use the closing line that I chose. I wasn’t so great at marketing, but I was able to use my own pacing and rhythm in my book which no one could change.

Pacing and rhythm are important for writing in general but they are crucial for a closing line. You want the words to roll off a reader’s tongue. Just like a symphony builds energy, revs up into a crescendo, and then tapers back down again, the last line of your book is meant to offer a sense of release and fulfillment, even if you’re describing a painful ending like ruination or death. Just like a catchy tune or a slogan that keeps playing over and over in a person’s mind, you want your readers to say to a friend, “I just read this book and I can't get it out of my head.”

Have you ever read a book that started out great but it fell apart at the end and the last line had no punch? When this happens, a reader feels disappointed that they wasted their money, time and energy. Your final words should not leave anyone hanging, even if certain issues are left hanging. That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it isn’t. You want readers to know that life goes on even though your story doesn’t. The lives of your characters will continue long after you stop writing. The lessons will continue to offer understanding and revelations for a long time to come.

Reading your book aloud, particularly your last chapter, is one way to find that elusive ending. As you listen to your own voice, you can single out phrases or ideas that are strong enough to permanently etch the theme of your story into a reader’s mind. You knew what you wanted to say when you started and the final sentence must reflect that. As you scan your material for a closing line, see if something jumps out at you. If it isn’t obvious, it may be camouflaged in the text behind other words and ideas.

American playwright, Moss Hart, who wrote his biography, Act One, in 1959, famously ended his book with one word:

INTERMISSION

That word infers that there is another act but we don't know what it is and he won't be telling us. We are encouraged to use our imaginations and discuss the story with our friends. The best choice for your last line will depend on the flavor of your story, but if you find a great ending, you will have touched your readers forever.

Here are a few examples of effective closing lines from some popular non-fiction books:

The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.

- - - Stephen King, On Writing

Sipping at the nectar of existence, I stop the war.

- - - Stephen Levine, Healing Into Life and Death

My vision is bounded by the women of my life and imagination. Nonetheless, I can still see far into the distance. Perhaps that is sufficient.

- - - Irwin D. Yalom, Love’s Executioner

. . . it seems to me as if . . . alienation which so long separated me from the world has become transferred into my own inner world, and has revealed to me an unexpected unfamiliarity with myself.

- - - C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams and Reflections

Your closing line does not need to be fancy. It just needs to be heartfelt. This is your “ever after” moment. You’ll notice I left out the word “happily.” Life has many more options than happiness or sadness and it’s up to you, the writer, to choose an ending that will leave your readers intrigued and wanting more.

As much as you’re ready to be finished with the book, I urge you to take the necessary time to find the right closing line. It will make all the difference to the reader and it will leave you, the writer, feeling satisfied and proud to be offering something interesting and valuable to the world. And it might mean another book deal.