Kia ora,
I’ve just finished pulling together a weekly newspaper and am preparing to jump back into a book I’m writing about 92 year old Nola Drummond. She nurtured a handful of Tasman pubs back to life from the brink of closing from the 1950s for 50 years. I’m trying to write around 1000 words per chapter for her book.
Let’s talk about ending your book chapters.
You’ve just written what you hope is a riveting chapter of your memoir. It’s full of insight into your life and you’re pretty sure it’s going to make for interesting reading. You’re ready to move onto the next chapter right?
Take 10 minutes to check a few things first.
- Did you start it with a first paragraph that will grip the reader and entice them to read on?
- Did you stick to the key points you wanted to make in your chapter?
- Have you managed to avoid repeating yourself?
- Have you managed to allow some authenticity and emotion into your story?
- Do you end on a cliff hanger that leads the reader into the next chapter?
I go into a little more detail about these in my video. If you managed to do these things, then, as my teacher used to say at Auckland Point School in Nelson, “give yourself a pat on the back,” and celebrate finishing another chapter!
Write on!
Charlotte X
