November 30, 2012

Writing The Last Chapter


Here it is ladies and gentleman the chapter we have all been waiting for!

Chapter Twenty (or the final chapter of any book) is what you have been building up for ever since Chapter Ten (the middle of the book). This is when the climax is at its peak, all the secrets that your characters have been keeping are out in the open, and the bad guy is finally revealed!

Now is the moment to unleash that big, final event that you have been keeping locked up in her mind. Let your fingers run free upon the keyboard. Let your pen spill excited ink all over your paper. Set your muse free!

For a mystery, your detective knows, without a shadow of a doubt, who the culprit is. And they are taking him/her down! Make this event something that will make your readers catch their breath and hold it until your detective has the murderer in cuffs. This may be the end, but that doesn’t give you permission to skimp on the suspense now. Add as much suspense, fear, and gore as you want.

For a romance, have your lovebirds declare their love, if they haven’t already. Let them shout it from the rooftops! After everything that has happened in your book, and all that you put them through, they deserve their happily ever after!

For a thriller (horror, supernatural, etc.), bring on the battle! Now is the time for the protagonist and antagonist to have their final duel to the death. Use the action tips from blog # 25 (How To Write Action) to help you write an epic fight. Let blood spill and bones break. You can even trick your readers into believing that the protagonist may not win after all.

In other words, light the fuse for the deadly explosions and/or romantic fireworks because this is it! Do not hold back! Make your readers proud to have found such an excellent book, and make your characters proud to be in your novel.



SHARE: A few details about the climax of your book.


2 comments:

  1. Hi,
    What is your opinion on twist endings in final chapters?
    In the final chapter of my book the protagonist has been punished for their wrongdoings, but you then discover it was actually accidental misdeeds of another character that caused everything to go wrong.
    I don't know whether to be brave and go with the twist or just leave it as the protagonists fault!!

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    Replies
    1. I believe you can have a twist at the end of your final chapter -especially if the book is a thriller, mystery, or horror story. If the story line is complete, go for it!

      One trick is to write both endings, read through your manuscript with one end as an option, and then swap it out with the other. Which one sounds better to you? Which one do you like more as a reader?

      Personally, I think an ending where we find out the protagonist's wrongdoings weren't their own is a great ending! But it is always up to you. Good luck!! And thank you for your comment! :)

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