CNF: How to Write CNF Chapter Conclusions
Excerpt from internal documentation (Manuscripts, LLC) and intended for writers in Manuscripts’ programs
Memoir
Obviously, memoirs are incredibly personal for writers because the source material is based on their own lives. This provides a challenge for many memoirists because it’s hard to know when to cut off a particular moment in your life. In life, things are often messier than a structured chapter would allow. There are, however, some good indicators that you should end a chapter.
Length: If you notice your chapter is approaching about 3500 words, it’s likely too long and should be wrapped up. That isn’t to say an occasional long chapter is prohibited, but in general reader attention doesn’t last very long from chapter to chapter. Additionally, chapters that are too long often have redundant information, overly complicated writing, or suffer from an overload of plot. Once you feel yourself repeating ideas, it’s likely time to stop.
Shifts: A good way to gauge if it’s time to end a chapter is if you feel the story needs to shift elsewhere. The shift can be a physical shift, in space or time, or an emotional one. If you find yourself ready to move on to another scene or idea, start a new chapter.
Clear resolution: If you have resolved something in one of your chapters, you can likely move on to the next chapter. This can be a resolution in a plot element, character growth, etc. Whatever the resolution, it’s usually an indicator to move on to the next unanswered question, problem, or journey, which means starting a new chapter.
Natural stopping point: Sometimes, you’ll just know when to stop a chapter. Once you get the hang of writing chapters, you’ll likely start to understand when a chapter “feels” done. Use your intuition here, and don’t be afraid to stop something even if it leaves the reader hanging a bit. Worst comes to worst, your DE will say your natural stop wasn’t effective and give you some ways to end your chapter.
There are many effective ways to end a memoir chapter. Once you know when to end a chapter, its time to figure out how you want to conclude it. Here are some ways you can effectively end a chapter in your memoir. Note that these are just a few good options to pick from; there are plenty of solid conclusions you can use if these don’t fit what you want your memoir to say.
