• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wylie's Writing Tips

Improve your communications with our training, consulting, and writing services

  • Home
  • Writing training
    • Topics
      • Content-writing classes
      • Email-writing classes
      • Persuasive-writing classes
      • PR-writing classes
      • Readability classes
      • Storytelling-writing classes
      • Web-writing classes
      • Writing-process classes
    • In-house writing workshops
    • Public writing workshops
      • Storytelling | July 11-15
      • PR writing | Aug. 15-19
      • Tight writing | Sept. 19-23
      • Email writing | Oct. 17-21
      • Writing process | Dec. 12-16
      • Past writing workshops
    • Association workshops
      • Case study: PRSA Puget Sound
      • Case study: IABC Detroit
      • Case study: IABC Lincoln
      • Case study: PRSA Alaska
    • Writing training clients
    • Trainer
  • Writing services
    • Ask Ann
    • Writing & editing
    • Writing coach
    • Writing guidelines
    • Writing training
    • Consulting clients
  • Writing tools
    • The Power Pack
    • Rev Up Readership: toolbox for writers
    • Art of Storytelling
    • Block Busters handbook
    • Clarify Complex Copy
    • Cut Through the Clutter manual
    • Get Good at Getting the Goods
    • Jargon: Start Making Sense
    • People Power
    • Think Like a Reader
    • Think Outside the Pyramid
  • Writing tips
    • Content writing
      • Relevant content writing
        • Relevant content writing resources
        • Relevant content writing quotes
      • Creative content writing
      • Structure for content
      • Readability for content
        • Resources on blog post length
        • Quotes on blog post length
      • Scannable web copy
      • Content writing resources
      • Content writing quotes
    • Email writing
      • Why email writing?
      • Subject lines
        • Resources on subject lines
        • Quotes on subject lines
      • Target your email
        • Quotes on targeted email
      • Feature story structure
      • Short, readable emails
        • Quotes on readable emails
      • Scannable emails
        • Quotes on how to write scannable email
      • Resources on email writing
      • Quotes on email writing
    • Microcontent
      • Skimming, scanning, reading
        • Resources on skimming, scanning, reading
        • Quotes on skimming, scanning, reading
      • Bulleted lists
        • Quotes on list writing
      • Callouts, pull quotes
        • Quotes on pull quotes and callouts
      • Captions, cutlines
        • Quotes on captions
      • Decks, summary blurbs
      • Headlines
        • Benefit headlines
        • Feature headlines
        • Web headlines
          • Quotes on web headlines
        • Quotes on headlines
      • Links, buttons
        • Quotes on links
      • Subheads
        • Quotes on how to do subheadings
      • Resources on display copy
      • Quotes on display copy
    • Persuasive writing
      • What’s in it for me?
        • Quotes on WIIFMs
      • Write about benefits
        • Quotes on verbs
        • Quotes on benefits
      • Write to, about You
        • Quotes on ‘you’ writing
      • Quotes about persuasive writing
    • Public relations writing
      • Why PR writing
      • Target readers with PR writing
        • Relevant releases quotes
      • Organize PR writing
        • Leads for releases
          • Press release first paragraph
          • Quotes on press release leads
        • Body for releases
      • Quotations
        • Quotes on writing a quotation
      • Readability for PR
        • Quotes on short press releases
      • Headlines, display copy for PR
        • Headlines for releases
        • Visuals for releases
      • Resources on press releases
      • Quotes on press releases
    • Readability
      • Why readability?
        • Information overload
          • Information overload quotes
        • Time spent reading
          • Quotes on time spent reading
      • Story length
        • Why short content
        • Measure A.R.T.
        • Tighten your story angle
        • Resources on writing short content
        • Quotes on writing short content
      • Paragraph length
        • Quotes on paragraph length
      • Writing with statistics
        • Quotes on writing with statistics
      • Sentence length
        • Activate the passive voice
          • Quotes on the passive voice
        • Resources on short sentences
        • Quotes on short sentences
        • Quotes about sentence length
      • Word length
        • Quotes on short words
        • Jargon
          • Quotes on jargon
          • Quotes on acronyms
        • Adjectives & adverbs
          • Quotes on modifiers
      • Readable
        • Resources on readability
        • Quotes on readability
      • Conversational copy
        • Quotes on conversational business writing
    • Storytelling and creative writing
      • Concrete details
        • Why concrete details?
        • Types of concrete detail
        • Quotes on concrete details
      • Description
        • Quotes on scent
      • Human interest
        • Quotes on human interest
      • Metaphor
        • Why use metaphor?
        • Complex copy
        • Creative comparisons
        • Simplify stats
        • Metaphor writing
        • Resources on metaphor
        • Quotes on metaphor
      • Storytelling
        • Why is storytelling important?
        • Find stories
        • Storytelling research
        • Elements of storytelling
        • Storytelling structure
        • Resources on storytelling
        • Quotes on storytelling
      • Wordplay
        • Alliteration
          • Resources on alliteration
        • Balance
        • Coin a word
          • Resources on coin a word
          • Quotes on coin a word
        • Quotes on the etymology of words
        • Rhyme
        • Rhythm
          • Quotes on using rhythm in writing
        • Twist of phrase
        • Quotes on how to use wordplay
      • Resources on creative copy
      • Quotes on creative copy
      • Quotes on boring copy
    • Type of articles
      • Case studies
      • Tipsheets
      • List-writing tips
    • Web writing
      • Why writing for the web?
        • Quotes on why writing for the web
      • Above the fold
        • Quotes on above-the-fold content
      • Tight web copy
        • Quotes on tight web copy
      • Scannable web copy
        • Quotes on scannable web copy
      • SEO for writers
        • Quotes on SEO
        • Quotes on SEO for releases
      • Quotes on crafting good web writing
      • Writing for mobile quotes
    • Writing
    • Writing process
      • Creativity step by step
        • Creative process
          • Quotes on the 5-step creative process
          • Quotes on foraging
          • Quotes on analyzing information
          • Quotes on incubation
          • Quotes on breaking through
          • Quotes on knuckling down
        • Quotes on creativity
        • Quotes from naysayers
        • Creative story ideas
        • Communicating with comics
      • Prewriting
        • Research blog posts
          • Research quotes
        • Tighten angle
          • Quotes on finding your focus
        • Quotes on prewriting
      • Freewriting
        • Quotes on freewriting
      • Writing difficulty quotes
      • Writer’s block quotes
      • Writing process quotes
    • Writing structure
      • Feature story structure
        • Why features structure?
          • Why feature structure?
        • Feature structure examples
        • Feature leads
        • Nut graph
          • Quotes on nut graph
        • Background section
          • Quotes on the background section
        • Body
          • Quotes on the body
        • Conclusion
          • Quotes on how to write good endings
        • Transitions
          • Quotes on transitions
      • Other story structures
      • Quotes on story structure
  • Writing newsletter
    • Current issue
    • What others say
    • Archives
  • Blog
  • Calendar
  • Why us?
    • About the trainer
    • Contact Ann

How to write a conclusion

Leave a lasting impression with these 2 key elements

It’s easy to end an inverted-pyramid story: Stop typing.

 How to write a conclusion
Tell ’em what you told ’em End with a bang by writing a good conclusion that includes a wrapup and kicker. Image via Shutterstock

Sadly, coming to an abrupt halt doesn’t work for feature-style stories.

But what does?

To write a satisfying conclusion, include two elements:

  • A wrapup: Tell ’em what you told ’em.
  • A kicker: End with a bang.

The wrapup is designed to make your point; the kicker, to make your point memorable. The best conclusions, in conclusion, summarize then illustrate your key point.

1. Draw to a close in the wrapup.

You’ve heard the phrase: Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em, tell ’em, then tell ’em what you’ve told ’em.

  • The nut graph is where you tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em.
  • The body paragraphs are where you tell ’em.
  • And the wrapup is where you tell ’em what you’ve told ’em.

Start your conclusion with a wrapup. This is where you make your final point about the subject.

You remember learning to do this for high school research papers: To write an essay conclusion, restate your thesis statement. Then the teacher reading your paper knew what your point was.

To write a wrapup, simply copy and paste the nut graph, then massage. The tone of the wrapup is, “Now that I’ve given you all this information, you can only agree with me that [key point].”

If you have a call to action, that goes into the nut graph, too.

Here’s how it works, in a story by Caren Baroudy at the Workers Compensation Board-Alberta.

[Lead] In Canada, overdose deaths involving prescription medications now vastly outnumber deaths from HIV. By some estimates, prescription drug overdoses have killed 100,000 North Americans over the past 20 years.

[Nut graph] Good opioid claim management can literally save an injured worker’s life, but it isn’t easy. Here’s what you can do for your injured worker to help keep them, and you, on course.

…

[Wrapup] Solid opioid claim management prevents addiction and overdoses and in essence, can save a claimant’s life.

2. End with a bang in the kicker.

The job of the kicker is to leave a lasting impression. Where the lead — aka introductory paragraph or essay hook — draws readers in with concrete, creative, provocative details, the kicker uses the same approaches to let readers go.

So make your kicker, or conclusion paragraph:

  • Concrete. Choose a telling detail for the end of the piece. It should reveal new meaning about the topic, even as you close.
  • Creative. Steal techniques from fiction writers including anecdotes, metaphors, wordplay, human interest and juicy details.
  • Provocative. Provoke a question in the reader’s mind so she keeps thinking about your story long after she’s finished the last paragraph.

You might even consider coming full circle back to the beginning.

Here’s how it works, in Caren Baroudy’s story:

[Lead] In Canada, overdose deaths involving prescription medications now vastly outnumber deaths from HIV. By some estimates, prescription drug overdoses have killed 100,000 North Americans over the past 20 years.

[Nut graph] Good opioid claim management can literally save an injured worker’s life, but it isn’t easy. Here’s what you can do for your injured worker to help keep them, and you, on course.

…

[Wrapup] Solid opioid claim management prevents addiction and overdoses and in essence, can save a claimant’s life.

[Kicker] By following these steps, you can help your claimant avoid becoming an unfortunate statistic.

Leave a lasting impression.

First impressions are important. But last impressions matter, too.

End with a bang, instead of a whimper, with this two-part approach.

 

Go Beyond the Pyramid.

Want to learn more tips and techniques for organizing copy that increases readership, understanding, sharing, engagement and more?

Catch Your Readers, persuasive-writing workshop, on April 10-11 in Charleston
If so, please join me at Catch Your Readers — our two-day persuasive-writing workshop on April 10-11 in Charleston.

There, you’ll master a structure that’s been proven in the lab to grab readers’ attention, pull them through the piece and leave a lasting impression.

Save $200 when you register by Dec. 31.

Register now.

Book an in-house
workshop.

“I love that it was backed up by so much research. It will make our jobs easier when we go back and sell these ideas to our organization!”
— Emily Linendoll, assistant director of communications, Northeastern University

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • Print

Primary Sidebar

June 23, 2022

Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15

Save upto $100 with our group discounts.

Register for Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15
  • What goes into a press release boilerplate?What goes into a press release boilerplate? Boil your company down with boilerplates
  • How to write funny contentHow to write funny content: Try self-deprecating humor
  • People understand 48% less on mobilePeople understand 48% less on mobile: How can you overcome the obstacles of reading on smartphones?
Archives

Wylie Communications, Inc. logo
    Training
  • In-house writing workshops
  • Public writing workshops
  • Association workshops
    Services
  • Writing guidelines
  • Ask Ann
  • Editing and rewriting
    Tools
  • Learning tools
  • RevvingUpReadership.com
  • Free writing tips
Subscribe to our ezine
Upcoming Workshops

Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15

NOT Your Father’s PR Writing - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop on Aug. 15-19

Rev Up Readability - Ann Wylie's tight-writing workshop on Sept. 19-23

Think Inside the Inbox - Ann Wylie's email-writing workshop on Oct. 17-21

© Copyright 2022 · Ann Wylie · All Rights Reserved
May not be duplicated and shared without authors permission. Contact us