Think about the ending at the beginning

By Dick Thien
Chips Quinn Writing Coach

Many young writers have a habit of ending all stories with quotes, sometimes not even good quotes.

Pity the poor reader.

To ensure that the reader is rewarded with a strong ending, start with this:

Read the front pages of the online New York Times, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, USA TODAY or Los Angeles Times. Look for the story in each that has the best lead. Stories that have good leads almost always have good endings.

Study the endings.

See how the writer often wraps up the whole story in two or three graphs -- sometimes in one.

See how often the writer does not end with a quote.

See how the writer has thought about her ending. You can do that, too.

Endings should be as well thought out as your lead and the beginning of your story. This is another argument for outlining stories. Outlines require a beginning, middle -- and ending. All good writers outline their stories. It's a discipline, but, in the end, it’s well worth it.

About the column

Write It Right is updated regularly. Have a suggestion for a future column, contact Dick Thien.

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