The Closing Line: Excerpt From My Book: A Friendly Guide to Writing and Ghostwriting

There is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the story.

- - -  Frank Herbert

The closing line of your book might represent a heartfelt good-bye, a sense that life goes on or an acknowledgment of all that came before, like a “thank-you” note. Or a “fuck you” note. It might be a way to say au revoir rather than good-bye. It may suggest a triumph that ends the book on a positive note or it may leave readers with a situation that will never be resolved, like unrequited love. There may be a sequel in the works or this may be the end of the story. Whichever it is, your book is finished but the closing line suggests that the story and the lessons will continue to impact the reader. 

I remember watching the final episode of the HBO drama, Dexter, in 2013. In the series finale, oddly beloved serial killer Dexter buried his dead sister at sea, abandoned his girlfriend to raise his son and left his hometown to start a new life as a lumberjack. I’d been so deeply involved in the story that I felt a sense of loss when it was over. I called my sister, Jill, who had been following it like I had, and we talked about how much we missed Dexter’s sister. We agreed that it was irresponsible for him to have left his son behind and we wondered whether or not he would ever go back home again.

Jill and I were well into the conversation when I stopped and said, “Do you realize we're talking about a fictional character and a made up story?” We laughed at ourselves but we still felt the emotions that the writers of the final episode had solicited. We kept thinking about it for a long time afterward. That was how impactful the ending was.

Whether it’s optimistic or pessimistic, funny or tragic, fulfilling or disappointing, the last line sets up the reader to leave the world you created with a cry, a sigh, a sense of justice served (or not), and in some cases, a good laugh like the one below:

Sorry I forgot to give you the mayonnaise.

                                    - - - Richard Brautigan, Trout Fishing in America  

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 your chance 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. That doesn’t mean it needs to be happy. It just needs to be satisfying. 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.

His last lines give me goose bumps because Mr. Frankl ended his book by expressing awareness and hope in the face of life’s greatest terrors.

I caution you here to watch out for overzealous publishing editors who can ruin your last line. I’m sorry to say that I know what it feels like to have a publisher throw a wrench into the works and skew the meaning of what I considered a well thought out ending. When I got my first publishing deal, I was excited to see my work in book form. I liked the weight of it 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 my book without consulting me. I was furious. He had messed with the rhythm of my paragraph and made it sound stilted and unfinished. I feared that readers would think I had abandoned the pacing of my words. I got him on the phone and complained but there was nothing I could do because it had already gone to press.

To this day, I cringe when I remember that unauthorized edit. Back then, it was enough to make me contemplate self-publishing in the future which I ended up doing with my memoir. Although I had to produce the entire book from scratch and be my own editor, at least I owned the rights to my life story and 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 my book, but I was able to use my own pacing and rhythm which no one could change without my permission.

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 into something calm and satisfying, triumphant or melancholy, 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 head, you want your readers to say to a friend, “I just read this book and I can't get it out of my mind.”

If you choose, you can write a sad ending but be careful that you don't leave your reader with anxiety, depression, or regret that they read your book. At the same time, avoid tying your story up with a neat little bow. Life doesn't unfold like that. Avoid tricky words and expressions. Avoid preachy ideas that sound like you know it all. No one wants to be told how to think or feel about anything. They don't want to feel “less than” the author, and they don't want to have to figure out what you're talking about. They want to understand what you’re saying, feel the impact, and see how it affects them. I’m reminded of a groundbreaking book, Stranger in a Strange Land, written by Robert Heinlein in 1961, in which he coined the word “Grok.” It means “to understand intuitively or by empathy what a person is trying to say.” From the first line to the last, you want your readers to grok the full meaning of what you're trying to say.

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.

So how do you create a good closing line?  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 the book and the final sentence must reflect that. As you scan your material, see if something jumps out at you. If the closing line of your book isn’t obvious, read your work aloud. The perfect ending line may be camouflaged in the text behind other ideas and words.

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

INTERMISSION

That word, in its brevity and directness, 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.  

 A few guidelines:

• Build your book to a crescendo and a release.

• Make sure the last line is realistic.

• Leave the reader with something to think about.

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.