#ending well

[daylerogers]

What Makes Us Memorable?

What Makes Us Memorable?

Memorials are an intriguing mix of extraordinary memories and poignant absences. Sweet surprises at what had been and sadness at what can no longer be. We were finally able to celebrate my friend Steve Douglass’ life and legacy, an event attended by close to a thousand people and streamed live to many more around the world. People who’d known him in some capacity, as a friend, mentor, neighbor,…

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[faithhopeloveandtherapy]

Bittersweet

Trying to write about a happy day but the tears keep falling

[writeladyblog]

Ending It All

About 640 years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, expressed the following sentiment:

“There is an end to everything, to good things as well.”

Yes, all good things eventually come to an end. With that being the case, we naturally desire the best possible conclusions to reinforce what was good and to avoid ruining what came beforehand.

Have you ever read a book, for instance, that captivated you until the last page or paragraph, which came across as if the author threw something together just to finish? Did you feel frustrated and even resentful for having wasted your time?

Such sentiments are not uncommon because writers and speakers so often fail to nail their closing remarks. Likewise, many of those who succeed do so only after agonizing—painfully—over their parting words.

If you worry about losing your audience at the end or reaching the end of your rope by the time you finish, consider the follow tips as soon as you set out to draft your next article, book, presentation, letter, case study or other project:

1. Begin with your ending. Start out with a clear vision of where you want to end up.

Consider what your audience should take away from your message and develop your main points around that conclusion—before you write your opening statement.  

You can and should tweak the ending based upon any changes you decide to make along the way. 

2. Make sure your ending makes sense. Lay the proper groundwork throughout your communication so that the elements add up in the end.

Have a plan for injecting need-to-know insights and information for your audience to gather at the appropriate stages. 

Suspense and surprise elements can be enthralling, but a final shocker won’t be brilliant unless you’ve given your audience a reason to believe in the possibility.

3. End with your beginning. Devise an ending that takes your audience back to the start.

Draw a connection between the introduction and conclusion to reinforce the message without repeating yourself.

Connect the dots, but instead of telling your audience what or how to think, strive to provide a means to reflect and react.

4. Make your audience want more. Motivate your audience by providing reasons to return to you for more of whatever you offer and/or for a reason to act upon your message.

Create a cliffhanger that promises to solve the puzzle in the future, or prompt a call to action that persuades your audience to take the next step. 

Keep in mind that audiences need enticing information and ideas—not a mouthful of fancy phrases that don’t say anything—to stick with you.

At this point, I can’t ignore that even Chaucer struggled with endings. He began The Canterbury Tales with the notion of creating 120 separate tales that his characters—pilgrims on their way to Canterbury—would tell to pass the time during their journey. Instead, he stopped at 24 and did not revise the stories he completed. The reason he never finished his epic work remains a mystery, but considering that Chaucer’s legacy lives on, I believe we should give him a pass and agree that he ended well after all.

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

[triciagoyer]

Making Hard Choices: Saying Goodbye to 'Living Inspired'

Making Hard Choices: Saying Goodbye to ‘Living Inspired’

Making Hard Choices Saying Goodbye to ‘Living Inspired”

Many people often ask me how I “do it all.” Sometimes it appears as if I do. I write blogs, write books, host a radio show, mentor teen moms, and care for my husband and kids.

The truth is I have to make hard choices to maintain balance. There is a lot I say no to. I’m also cautious about what I add, and I frequently go before God and pray…

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[spock-ify]

watching star trek movies all night so i can say i ended the year well and began the next one even better